Princess of Thieves
by Aiyta
Summary: Another school play, another lead role for Arnold and Helga. How will it turn out this time around?
1. Vice Principal's Office

**Princess of Thieves  
**Another school play, another lead role for Arnold and Helga. How will it turn out this time around?

_Disclaimer: I don't own Hey Arnold.  
The 'interpretation' and the basis for the 'script' I have used for the Robin Hood play is based very strongly on the Robin Hood TV Series from the BBC (circa 2006-2009). If you haven't ever watched it, you totally should. However, I would like to point out that I also do not own Robin Hood._

* * *

**March 5****th**** – The Vice Principal's Office**

Gerald and I waited patiently as the school's Vice Principal Mrs Gingnam sifted through our school records. Moments after flipping them open she lifted her gaze with a concerned look plastered on her face.

"Boys," Mrs Gingnam began, "I can see you're both very involved in sport, and that's great..."

"But?" Gerald asked.

"But, colleges are looking for well-rounded students and a school resume full of sports leaves limited opportunities." Mrs Gingnam explained.

"What can we do?" I asked hesitantly, unsure if the options would be very appealing.

Mrs Gingnam pulled a binder from her desk draw and flipped through it, "Volunteer work always leaves a good impression or there's positions available on the Homecoming Committee."

Gerald screwed his face up at the mere mention of the Homecoming Committee.

Mrs Gingnam hastily closed the binder and looked toward us expectantly, "Or, I do have a special request, the director of this year's drama production is very interested in having you perform."

Gerald sat up a little in his seat, "We'll do it." he said excitedly.

I looked over to him in shock, "That's a lot of commitment Gerald." I mumbled.

Gerald immediately leaned over toward me, whispering into my ear, "Phoebe is always involved with the drama productions."

I smirked a little at this revelation; Gerald had always had a soft spot for the small Japanese-American girl. I was never sure how deep his feelings ran, he wasn't big on discussing it, but I knew he cared for her a lot. However, I also knew that Phoebe's participation in the drama production could only mean one thing – Helga would be involved too.

"Yeah Gerald and that means Helga will be involved too!" I whispered harshly in response.

Gerald shot me a look of confusion, "And? Why do you get so concerned about her?"

"Well, because she hates me!" I said, rolling my eyes.

Gerald frowned at me, I knew exactly what he was going to say, "Arnold, Helga has hardly even _spoken _to you since sixth grade!"

I winced a little at that, he was right; Helga Pataki had largely left me alone for the past few years. Fourth grade was the last time things were 'normal' between us, 'normal' being Helga as my bully and me as her ever-patient victim. Then, FTI happened, that moment where she spilled her guts to me and I let her take 'heat of the moment' as a convenient excuse. Helga then spent the fifth grade being even worse toward me, trying her very hardest to prove her overwhelming 'hatred' toward me.

Sixth grade was like a slap in the face, Helga simply gave up. I assumed she finally moved on and therefore no longer had reason to torment me. It wasn't until I had 'lost' her that I finally understood what all those weird feelings I had been ignoring for years meant. I loved Helga Pataki. I felt stupid for only realising that _after _she had moved on, but I suppose it was hard to accept being in love with a girl who shot a surplus of spit-balls at your head each day.

I'd never told anybody, not even Gerald, about my feelings for Helga, although Gerald was becoming increasingly suspicious of my strange reactions to all-things Helga related.

I laughed nervously at Gerald's comment, "Yeah, you're right. Helga doesn't matter anyway." I lied nervously.

Gerald grinned, turning back to face Mrs Gingnam, "Cool. We'll do the play."

Mrs Gingnam smiled happily, "I'm pleased, I think you'll both enjoy yourselves. I do have to warn you, the director has assigned you both lead roles."

Gerald's eyes grew wide and I was sure mine were looking much the same.

"What play are we doing exactly?" I enquired.

"Georgia Kingsley's 'Robin Hood', adapted for stage." Mrs Gingnam replied.

Georgia Kingsley was a local writer who had recently released her interpretation of the Robin Hood legend. Kingsley's book had fast become a best seller, and a major topic of discussion. One key reason for that was the, shall we say 'intimate' nature of the story.

Gerald raised an eyebrow, "Doesn't that book have like seventeen sex scenes or something?"

Mrs Gingnam chuckled, "Certainly, the book does, however this particular stage adaption has cut all but four intimate scenes... and they're all implied of course. You'll certainly be doing a lot of kissing however."

"My specialty." Gerald smirked.

Gerald liked to consider himself somewhat of the school Casanova, but I knew for a fact he'd never gone further than kissing a few girls. Gerald had certainly had offers from far more, and to go far further than a casual make-out but he had graciously declined. I had my suspicions that Phoebe was the reason behind his reluctance to become involved with other girls. Gerald's problem was that he was too shy to ask Phoebe out, he'd always felt far below the standards of the pretty and intelligent girl.

Mrs Gingnam rolled her eyes slightly at Gerald's comment as she held out a script to each of us, "Gerald you'll play the Sheriff of Nottingham and Arnold, you've been picked as Robin Hood. Rehearsals begin tomorrow afternoon in the Auditorium directly after school." and then flicked her hands at us to leave her office.

Gerald smirked at me as the door of Mrs Gingnam's office closed behind us, "So, Arnold, you're the main man, you know what that means?"

"No?" I respond.

"You'll probably have most of the sex scenes!" Gerald exclaimed.

I rolled my eyes at him, "I cannot believe I got roped into doing the lead in a play yet again." I grumbled.

"Maybe the girl playing Maid Marian will be a hottie, then it'll be worth it." Gerald said, giving me a playful nudge.

I frowned at him, "I'm hardly interested in trying to romance some girl that I have to share implied sex scenes with on a stage."

"If you _imply _well enough then maybe she'll let you hit it for real." Gerald suggested with a laugh.

I shot him a disapproving glare as we approached the parking lot and headed to our cars parked side by side. I opened the door to the Packard and Gerald tossed his books into his Trans Am.

"Hey, once we've read the scripts through tonight we should give each other a call." Gerald piped up as he settled into his driver's seat.

"Alright" I agreed, "Call me once you've finished it."

Gerald nodded his head and slammed his door shut, firing up the old car with a crackle from the exhaust.


	2. Gerald Calls

**Princess of Thieves  
**Another school play, another lead role for Arnold and Helga. How will it turn out this time around?

_Disclaimer: I don't own Hey Arnold.  
The 'interpretation' and the basis for the 'script' I have used for the Robin Hood play is based very strongly on the Robin Hood TV Series from the BBC (circa 2006-2009). If you haven't ever watched it, you totally should. However, I would like to point out that I also do not own Robin Hood._

* * *

**March 5****th**** – Gerald Calls**

I sat up and placed the script down on the couch as the phone began to ring loudly. I assumed it was Gerald, he always did have immaculate timing.

"Hey Gerald." I said as I picked up the receiver.

"Arnold, you're a lucky man, you have three of those four sex scenes!" Gerald immediately exclaimed.

"Nice of you to say 'hello' Gerald." I said as I rolled my eyes.

"Plus, you kiss Marian like a hundred times dude!" Gerald continued.

"Gerald, you have a sex scene too, with Guy of Gibourne's sister Genevieve." I pointed out to him.

"Yeah, wouldn't it be so good if Phoebe played Genevieve, or at least somebody who is a good kisser. Actually, no, all I hope for is that it ISN'T Helga Pataki." Gerald said with a shudder.

I laughed a little, "I think that would be funny Gerald, and who knows maybe it would make Phoebe jealous."

"I'd rather stick my head in a blender than get anywhere near Helga Pataki's venomous lips!" Gerald responded.

"I'm sure they're not literally venomous Gerald." I sigh.

Gerald chuckles a little, "Well you would know Arnold, considering you've kissed her twice!"

I flinch a little at his comment, I had _actually _kissed Helga four times. Romeo and Juliet was the first, then there was 'mouth-to-mouth' on Babewatch and then the moment engraved deeply into my mind on the FTI Building. I sighed inwardly; the very last time I kissed Helga Pataki was in sixth grade, just after she'd stopped talking to me altogether. I practically backed her into a corner, demanding to know why she wasn't speaking to me before I lost all control and lunged at her lips, it lasted a few moments before she pulled back and quickly ran away. If I'm honest, that was the reason I had never told Helga how I felt about her, because in that moment it seemed obvious she was well and truly over me.

In fact, aside from Helga I'd only ever kissed one other girl, some cheerleader called Anna during middle school. Cheerleaders were always keen to date Gerald and myself, considering our prominent positions on the school football team. Anna had asked me out during a short lived phase of determination to 'move on' from Helga, so I had obliged to a date. I hated it, maybe even regretted it, I realised no girl would ever compare to Helga Pataki. Kissing Anna was like making-out with cardboard, nothing like the passion and intensity of Helga. I broke things off with her as quickly and kindly as I could, and she seemed happy enough to move on to the next football player who walked by.

I decided that night that I never wanted to kiss anybody but Helga, and if I couldn't have her, I'd just have nobody. Hence, I suppose I was pretty reluctant to be kissing some other girl for this play.

"Those were a long time ago.. and they were scripted." I said in reply to Gerald's comment.

"Hmmmm.." Gerald responded, "I will have to ask Sid how she rates."

I felt my body tense, "What? What do you mean?"

"Oh, during middle school at one of Rhonda's parties, Sid kissed Helga during Spin The Bottle." Gerald casually explained.

"I don't remember that, was I not there?" I asked with a hint of annoyance.

"Yeah man, you didn't go because you had a date with that cheerleader chick Anna." Gerald said.

I clenched my jaw. I officially _absolutely _regretted that date.

I breathed deeply and decided to return to the original topic, "Look Gerald I'm sure somebody good will play the part of Genevieve."

"Yeah, course man, you're right. Now spill, who do you want to be your Marian?" Gerald asked.

I considered my response for a moment, "I, uh, don't mind." I said, trying to sound disinterested.

"Hmmmmm, I feel there's something you're not telling me." Gerald mused, "Actually, you haven't spoken to me about girls since Lila in grade _four_!"

I winced, Gerald always saw through my lies, "I just..."

"Don't tell me you're still hung up on Lila!" Gerald exclaimed.

"I'm not Gerald." I assured him.

"You better come clean with me, because if I count correctly you've been lusting after this chick since we were like ten.." Gerald pushed.

"I don't feel like talking about it." I sigh.

"Wait, it's not Phoebe is it?" Gerald practically shouted down the phone.

"No Gerald, it's not Phoebe." I said quickly, before he could become too distressed.

"Time to 'fess up man." Gerald warned, a hint of relief in his voice.

"Maybe I don't actually like anyone." I bluffed.

"Arnold, you turn down all girls who ask you out, you get dreamy in class, you're all secretive about girls you..." Gerald suddenly trailed off.

"Gerald?" I asked worryingly, "What's going on?"

"I cannot believe it! I cannot believe it! I can almost understand why you didn't tell me, but I cannot believe I didn't notice sooner!" Gerald shouted.

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"Fourth grade, you're all about Lila and then one day we're trying to save a neighbourhood and Helga Pataki's voice cuts into the speaker and you show up _with _Helga on our ride back into the neighbourhood. THEN she starts going nuts, bullying you like there's no tomorrow and you suddenly won't talk to me about girls. I distinctly remember in sixth grade when she stopped talking to you that you were moping around for _months_. Not to mention how weird you get about seeing her and you're always telling me it's cause she 'hates you' even though she hardly says a word to you. Plus you can _never _seem to concentrate in English class which is our only class with her AND the only girl you've dated over the years was that Anna chick who just so happened to have long blonde hair and pigtails!" Gerald rambled, "OH! And you just stuck up for her venomous lips."

"Gerald, I don-" I began.

"No Arnold, it's painfully obvious now that you have a crush on Helga Pataki." Gerald declared.

I sighed, "No, I don't have a crush on her... I'm in love with her."

I hear a gasp from the other end of the phone, "How long?" Gerald asks.

I brace myself, "Since... we were three."

"SINCE WE WERE THREE!?" Gerald screeched into my ear.

"I was in denial about it for... a long time, didn't accept the fact that I liked her until fourth grade and I tried to convince myself it was just a crush but in sixth grade I finally admitted to myself that I love her." I explained glumly.

"Well, I'm pretty annoyed you didn't tell me but... I can understand keeping it a secret, must be hard being in love with someone who'd probably knock your teeth out if she knew." Gerald said.

"You have no idea." I sighed.

"Who knows man, maybe she'll be Marian and she'll have to kiss you several times without complaint." Gerald said reassuringly.

"Maybe Phoebe will be Genevieve." I said cheerfully.

"I hope so!" Gerald responded.

I looked down at the pile of books on my desk, "I better get a start on my homework." I said with a grumble.

"Good idea." Gerald agreed, "Remember I'll be out of school tomorrow for the basketball trip but I'll see you at the Auditorium after school for first rehearsal."

"Great, I'll meet you there, bye." I said.

"Bye." Gerald responded.

I dropped the phone back onto the receiver with a clunk and set about tackling my mountain of homework.


	3. Mr Simmons Directs

**Princess of Thieves**

Another school play, another lead role for Arnold and Helga. How will it turn out this time around?

_Disclaimer: I don't own Hey Arnold.  
The 'interpretation' and the basis for the 'script' I have used for the Robin Hood play is based very strongly on the Robin Hood TV Series from the BBC (circa 2006-2009). If you haven't ever watched it, you totally should. However, I would like to point out that I also do not own Robin Hood._

Mr Simmons: I know some people will feel Mr Simmons is slightly OOC here, however I disagree. He is still peppy and optimistic and 'special' it's simply that he is now interacting with the gang as **sixteen** year olds, not as **nine** year olds, so his communications with them have matured with their age. You see?

* * *

**March 6****th**** – Mr Simmons Directs**

Gerald and I sat in the back row of the currently empty Auditorium, quietly reading our scripts, when the door clanged behind us and a middle-aged man hurried in.

"Mr Simmons?" I exclaimed, blinking at the sight of our old fourth grade teacher.

"Arnold! Gerald! It's so fantastic to see you again!" Mr Simmons said joyfully as he placed his large briefcase down onto a table by the stage.

Gerald and I hopped out of our seats and moved forward to sit in the chairs surrounding his table.

"I guess that makes you our director?" Gerald enquired.

"Certainly does Gerald! Last year the high school had all sorts of trouble and ended up needing an emergency fill in director so I happily volunteered. It was such a pleasant surprise when they asked me to come back again to direct this year's play. I simply couldn't turn it down, not with the cast members being who they were!" Mr Simmons delightfully announced, unpacking papers onto the large table.

"The cast members?" I repeated, wondering why he was so excited.

"Yes Arnold, all of our cast members for Robin Hood are very special people from our old fourth grade class." Mr Simmons smiled.

Gerald and I shot each other looks of excitement, the old PS118 gang was still fairly close, we often made time to hang out together and most of them made it to all of our football games.

Mr Simmons drew out two pencils and finally sat into his chair, "I hope you two were happy with the characters I chose for you." he said.

Gerald raised his eyebrow in interest, "Oh, you did the choosing?"

Mr Simmons nodded enthusiastically, "Mrs Gingnam informed me she was planning to propose the idea of participating in the play to the two of you and I knew exactly what roles I wanted you in if you were to accept. Gerald I feel your special skills will be perfect for the Sherriff, and Arnold I knew I needed you for the role of Robin, you're just the perfect match for the leading lady!"

"Who is the leading lady, might I ask?" Gerald sniggered.

Mr Simmons opened his mouth to respond, when the sounds of the Auditorium doors opening were heard from the back of the room. I watched as the cast, which truly was all fourth-grade class members, walked into the room.

Harold Berman walked in chatting away with Stinky Peterson and Curly Gammelthorpe. Harold played on the football team with Gerald and I, he was tall and bulky making him a fantastic defence. These days he wore well-fitted shirts, after some positive influence from Patty Smith, and dark baggy jeans. Stinky towered above all of us, and played with Gerald on the basketball team, he usually had on a white t-shirt and a pair of khaki pants. Curly wore his jet-black hair in messy spikes, had long ago got contact lenses, and usually dressed in tailored shirts and a pair of nice pair of black pants. Curly was considered fairly attractive, but he was still absolutely crazy, and still absolutely besotted with Rhonda who not surprisingly had _finally_ admitted to loving him back.

Eugene Horowitz and Sheena Smith bounded in behind them, speaking excitedly and making dramatic hand movements. Sheena continued to seek Eugene's affections, but in truth we were all hesitantly waiting for the day Eugene came out of the closet. Sheena was still the vegetarian animal-loving free-spirited girl she had always been and her general attire was a long flowing floral skirt and a plain green cami with assorted beads around her neck. Eugene opted for shirts with wild prints, and often wore brightly coloured pants; he still had a mop of curly red hair but was thankfully far less clumsy.

I involuntarily glared in Sid Gifaldi's direction as he entered the auditorium with Lila Sawyer, remembering what Gerald had told me last night. Lila was practically the same girl she'd always been, her red hair in two braids, a super sweet attitude and a green chequered dress. Sid lived his life teetering on the edge of danger with a bunch of less than savoury friends, but he was still a nice enough guy. Sid still proudly wore a pair of beetle boots everywhere and often paired them with a loose black shirt and slim fit jeans.

Lastly, Helga Pataki and Phoebe Heyerdahl walked in side by side, Helga engrossed in reading a book and Phoebe checking over a homework assignment. Phoebe was short and petite, her Japanese-American heritage gave her a lovely skin-tone. Phoebe's raven-coloured hair was significantly longer these days, and she held it up in a tight bun. Phoebe typically wore pretty blue sundresses with a darker blue cardigan over her shoulders. Helga was constantly reading, she was either reading or talking to Phoebe, she read a lot of Shakespeare. Helga had only recently stopped wearing pigtails, now simply scooping her very long blonde hair into a messy ponytail. Helga was tall and curvaceous, with creamy pale skin, but she hid herself under a baggy pink shirt and loose-fitting blue jeans.

Helga's eyes snapped up from her book and immediately landed on Gerald and I, "What the heck are the hair boys doing here?" she hissed.

Gerald frowned at her, "Lovely to see you too Helga, we are here because we're going to be in the play."

Helga looked between the two of us suspiciously, "What, you suddenly decided to tear yourselves away from the world of sports fields and cheerleaders?"

"We do more than just run around sports fields Helga." I patiently responded.

Helga rolled her eyes, "Whatever you say Football Head."

Mr Simmons beamed at the students around him, "Sit down everybody, I want to fully announce the castings for the play."

Everybody scrambled to locate a seat as Mr Simmons picked up a clipboard from his desk.

"Phoebe will be my assistant director for our production, any special concerns you may have should be addressed with either myself of Phoebe. Sheena has taken on the role of costume and set designer, thank you very much Sheena. Eugene, Harold, Stinky and Curly you will play the four 'Merry Men', Robin Hood's gang. Eugene will play Allan A'Dayle, Harold will play Little John, Stinky will play Will Scarlet and Curly will play Friar Tuck. I have chosen Gerald to play the Sherriff of Nottingham and Lila will play his love interest Genevieve. Robin Hood will be played by Arnold..." Mr Simmons explained.

I watched a look of horror cross Helga's face at the announcement of my role as Robin Hood. I felt my breath catch in my throat, that must mean that...

"Helga will play Robin Hood's true love Maid Marian and finally, Sid will play Guy of Gisbourne, Robin Hood's rival for Marian's attentions."

Helga immediately stood up, "Woah, no way! No way am I playing the Football Head's girlfriend!"

"Helga, I chose you and Arnold specifically for these roles as you have such wonderful stage chemistry, just like with Romeo and Juliet." Mr Simmons gleefully pointed out.

I cringed; Helga was not going to be happy with that comment.

"There was NO chemistry!" Helga growled.

Phoebe nervously stood up beside her, and whispered something into Helga's ear. Helga frowned, "Okay, fine I'll do it." she muttered, slumping back into her chair.

"Fantastic Helga!" Mr Simmons smiled, "Now, you'll all need to put in time over the next few days to begin memorizing your lines but today I want to begin by discussing the characters and their relationships so you all have a better understanding of your roles. Let's begin with a quick summary of the storyline, Phoebe would you like to do so?"

Phoebe grinned as she began her synopsis, "Robin Hood is the story of the Earl of Loxley in England who returns home after four years of fighting the war in the Holy Land. Robin returns to find Nottingham struggling under the unfair rule of the Sherriff and to discover that the Sherriff has handed not only his title and his estate over to Sir Guy of Gisbourne, but has also promised Sir Guy the right to wed Maid Marian, the love of Robin's life. Robin rebels against the Sherriff's decisions and is quickly outlawed, with a warrant for his capture. Robin flees to nearby Sherwood Forest and bands together with fellow outlaws to fight against the Sherriff's unlawful rule."

"Thank you Phoebe, the play script focuses heavily on Robin's dedication to Marian, and his fight to win her back." Mr Simmons explained.

Helga scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"Now, the book and the play are set in the medieval time period, however the dialogue is in modern English, so as to appeal to more readers and audience members." Mr Simmons finished.

"I heard there's a bunch of sex scenes!" Harold piped up loudly.

Helga's face dropped in realization; she looked like she might be sick. I felt myself blush a little.

"Harold, the book has many intimate scenes however for the play there is only four, and of course they are simply strongly implied." Mr Simmons quickly explained, "Now let's begin discussing the dynamics of the characters and their relationships. Gerald, what's your analysis of the Sheriff?"

"He's power hungry and doesn't care about other people." Gerald summarised.

"Now Gerald, behind every villain is a secret, something that shaped their anger and distrust, what would you say is the Sherriff's?" Mr Simmons enquired.

Helga smirked, "Because someone was taken away from him."

"Care to elaborate Pataki?" Gerald frowned.

"Sure thing Geraldo, the book clearly states that he is unmarried and often affirms that his interest in Genevieve begins from the fact that she is 'familiar'. It is strange that a man of his rank would be unmarried at his age, hence I deduce he was previously married and somehow she died or was taken away. Thus, he is bitter and because he could not control his own life, he now chooses to control others." Helga stated.

I looked as the room full of people stared toward her in shock. Helga was intelligent and analytical, but she rarely cared to show it.

"I believe you are entirely correct Helga, the Sherriff often tells Sir Guy that 'life is not fair' when he speaks of not having Marian's affections." Mr Simmons concurred, "So, how about Guy of Gisbourne, he is very loyal to the Sherriff and lets the Sherriff push him around and his lust for Marian doesn't seem to hold any true care for her. He's also very protective over his sister, Genevieve."

"Probably because their parents died when they were young, he feels like he has to look out for Genevieve. The Sherriff probably feels like a father figure to him." I suggested.

Mr Simmons nodded in agreement, "What about his relationship with Marian?"

"He doesn't love her." Helga frowned, crossing her arms.

"Why do you believe that Helga?" Mr Simmons enquired.

"She's a prize to him. She's a challenge and he simply wants the glory of being the winner. All he sees in her is beauty and money, not a soul mate. He doesn't know a thing about who she truly is." Helga explained.

"Willikers, you sure are smart at this." Stinky said to her.

Helga raised her eyebrow for a moment, but eventually shot him a rare smile.

"Lila, why do you think Genevieve gets involved with the Sheriff?" Mr Simmons enquired.

"I'm ever so certain it is because she wants to spite her overprotective brother." Lila replied.

"Why would she want to spite him?" Mrs Simmons asked.

Phoebe's face broke into a smile, "Because she's stronger than him, intellectually and emotionally, just like Marian is, and she resents him behaving as an overlord in her life."

"Thank you Lila and Phoebe, now let's focus on to the very special main pairing! Robin loves Marian but left her to fight in the crusades and she seems distant when he returns, she doesn't truly want to marry Sir Guy but she considers it nonetheless. Does anybody have any insights?" Mr Simmons said, looking intently at Helga who sat with a scowling expression on her face.

"It's ever so sweet how dedicated Robin is to Marian." Lila said sweetly.

"Do you think he'd give up the fight against the Sherriff if he could have Marian?" Mr Simmons asked.

Lila nodded slowly but Sheena spoke up from next to her, "I don't think Marian would ever actually ask him to do that."

"She respects what Robin does." Gerald said in agreement.

"Does Marian truly love Robin?" Mr Simmons questioned.

Gerald frowned, "It's confusing, I can't tell if she really does."

Phoebe's eyes went wide, "Of course she does! Maybe even more than he loves her!"

"Then why does she act so hostile toward him and run back to Guy all the time?" Sid spoke up.

"I suppose she is angry at him for leaving her in the past." Lila suggested.

Slowly I noticed Helga shake her head, "She isn't angry." she mumbled softly. I assumed she hadn't wanted anyone to hear, but they all did, and turned to look at her expectantly.

Helga took a breath and reluctantly looked up, "She is not angry, she was never angry. She is scared."

Phoebe's eyes shot wide and she beamed at Helga as she spoke.

"What exactly is she scared of?" Mr Simmons asked her.

"Love." Helga said abruptly, not continuing until Phoebe dealt her a nudge in the arm, "She doesn't feel deserving of him, he is everybody's hero and his duty is to help others. She's just some girl in a nice house, sure she's smart and can hold her own in a fight, but she's just one person."

Phoebe's face turned to a frown, "Helga, I think maybe Marian underestimates herself, she's a strong person, she deserves his love."

Helga turned in her seat to eye Phoebe, "Maybe Robin doesn't need strong and intelligent, maybe he needs a pretty trophy wife who will sit around and wait for him to return home!"

"No, Robin needs Marian, he _loves _Marian and _wants _her to fight by his side. He acknowledges her for who she is, he's always seen past her facade!" Phoebe responded.

Helga scoffed and shook her head, "I think you're being overly optimistic Phoebe, even if he did love her, he tip toes around it and he never seems to be able to tell herthat he does. He just doesn't have it in him to make it a reality."

Phoebe sighed at her friend, "Why would you think that?"

"Because when it comes to emotions, he's too passive." Helga snapped.

Mr Simmons looked between the two friends with concern, as they sat staring each other down.

"You have a very good understanding of Marian's character Helga." Mr Simmons said passively, "I knew you'd be perfect for her part."

Helga sighed and broke eye-contact with Phoebe.

"Make sure to put an extra special effort into memorizing your lines everybody." Mr Simmons said as he checked his watch, "I'd like you to see you come back tomorrow with a strong grasp on your characters and some of their dialogue."

Helga quickly picked herself up from her chair and rushed from the auditorium with Phoebe worriedly following close behind. Slowly, others began to leave too. I looked over at Gerald, who offered me a shrug, this was going to be a challenge...


	4. Cheerleader Invasion

**Princess of Thieves  
**Another school play, another lead role for Arnold and Helga. How will it turn out this time around?

_Disclaimer: I don't own Hey Arnold.  
The 'interpretation' and the basis for the 'script' I have used for the Robin Hood play is based very strongly on the Robin Hood TV Series from the BBC (circa 2006-2009). If you haven't ever watched it, you totally should. However, I would like to point out that I also do not own Robin Hood._

* * *

**March 12****th**** – Cheerleader Invasion**

Gerald, Harold and I sat on the bleachers during our rest break at football practice, watching as the rest of the team fawned over the cheerleading squad who had engulfed them on the field. It was always the three of us, making a beeline for the safety of the bleachers well away from the cheerleader strangle-hold, during times like these.

I strongly suspected we were all for one common reason, we were in love with other people, far more dynamic and interesting than the mindless cheer squad girls. I didn't exactly hate cheerleaders, in fact I could tolerate anybody, but I knew how much Helga disliked them and that made me dislike them a little too. I could make an educated guess that Harold was in much the same position, he and Patty Smith had 'dated' back in grade school but it had soon fizzled away to a friendship. Over the years the feelings seemed to resurface, maybe beginning to show properly now they had grown up, and I saw the way they looked at each other.

I scanned the field for the fourth member of our bleacher gang, but she was nowhere to be seen today. Rhonda sometimes joined our huddle on the sidelines, she may have been popular and also the head cheerleader but she was different. Rhonda and Curly had been together since seventh grade and he'd taught her a lot about being herself and not worrying about stereotypes. I knew the girls often gave her a hard time for dating a 'geek', which I knew always earned them a strong verbal lashing for their disrespect. So it was no surprise that she preferred to sit with us on the bleachers most trainings, rather than hang around her friends while they worshipped the guys.

Harold let out a laugh as one of the guys from the team tried unsuccessfully to escape the grasp of one of the cheerleaders.

Gerald shook his head, "Every damn training this happens. It's like a half-time orgy."

"I thought orgy's were your thing 'player'?" I teased.

"Yeah, maybe I'm just not interested today." Gerald glared.

"Wouldn't have anything to do with a nice girl that you should definitely ask out?" I pushed.

Gerald scoffed at me, "You better watch yourself man, I got some good dirt on you now buddy."

Harold raised an eyebrow at me but decided not to ask, "Simmons says we're staring proper on-stage rehearsals next week."

"Mmmmm, it'll be good to do the real thing instead of just sitting around reciting lines." Gerald said.

"Hey Arnold, you ready for your sex scenes?" Harold joked.

Gerald, who had lifted his bottle for a drink, practically choked on his water, "Oh, I think he's more than ready."

I shot him a glare and gave his arm a good punch.

"Ah yes, sex scenes with Miss Helga Pataki, he's sure to end up with a black eye or three." Gerald laughed.

Harold burst into laughter with Gerald, "Yeah, the girl sure is feisty."

"I've noticed you and Helga get along better these days." Gerald mentioned.

Harold shrugged, "Yeah, her and Patty are pretty good friends. She's a great girl really, there's a lot more to her than anger and sarcasm... plus, I've heard she's a pretty good kisser, so the scenes should be enjoyable Arnold." he sniggered.

I could just feel the huge grimace that had covered my face, it was true, but I didn't like to think how _other people _knew, "Who said that?"

"Yeah man, who's been sucking face with Pataki?" Gerald enquired.

"Nobody recently, it's just that Sid's still going on about that kiss at Rhonda's in middle school. He's got a bit of a thing for her I reckon." Harold informed us.

"He has a thing for her? What kind of thing?" I snapped, Gerald shot me a 'cool it' look.

Harold shrugged, seemingly not noticing my irritated tone, "I heard he asked her out last year sometime."

"I bet that earned him a punch in the face." Gerald laughed.

"Nah, apparently she was pretty nice about it, said she thought he was a nice guy but she just couldn't accept." Harold thought for a moment, "I think Sid's planning on trying his luck again after the play though, they've been practicing lines together or something."

Gerald looked nervously at me as I sat with my fists clenched in my lap, staring out at the field and attempting not to blurt out insensitive remarks about Sid. I saw one of the cheerleaders approaching us, the tall brunette one who was friends with Rhonda but whose name I could never remember.

"Hey guys." She chirped in her high-pitched voice.

"Hey Melissa." Harold said with very little interest.

"Arnold I heard about your role in the school play, I think you'll make a totally fantastic Robin Hood." Melissa continued.

I wondered why she was here, "Thanks." I said as politely as possible.

"I think you're going to look totally handsome as Robin Hood. What does your costume look like? I'm sure it won't matter, you'll look fantastic anyway. I'll be there opening night. Will you be wearing tights?" Melissa rambled.

I raised my eyebrow at the weird question, "I'm not sure?"

"Oh, you totally should, I'd like to see that." Melissa giggled and winked.

I knew I was staring at her like she was crazy, but I couldn't help it, "Uh, thanks." I said again, attempting to sound polite.

"I just feel so sorry for you having to kiss Helga Pataki." Melissa frowned.

I felt my brows furrow and my mouth drop in shock; Gerald frowned and looked over to see my reaction. Luckily, Harold stepped in before I could say anything.

"Hey, watch yourself, Helga's a friend of mine." Harold warned.

Melissa scoffed, "It's not like she's a very friendly person, she's always angry and pushy."

I could feel my face twitching; I bit down on my lip as Gerald watched me closely.

"Oh and those clothes, they're so blah and she never does anything useful with her hair, maybe she could look decent if she put some effort it." Melissa continued.

I went to say something and felt Gerald slap his hand across my mouth. Gerald smiled at Melissa and calmly said, "Helga is entitled to dress as she pleases."

Melissa looked between the two of us with confusion, as Gerald took his hand away from my mouth, she shrugged, "Well, I feel sorry for you Arnold." and with that she bounced off back to her posse.

Gerald patted my shoulder comfortingly, "Calm down man." he warned.

Harold watched me suspiciously as I grimaced.

"What was her deal?" I asked angrily.

"If I'm not mistaken, that was a cheerleader hitting on you." Gerald explained.

I rolled my eyes.

"Arnold I see like ten girls a day throw themselves at you, never seen you show any interest." Harold mused.

"Uh, maybe none of the ten a day were quite the right one." Gerald delicately explained.

Harold smiled and nodded, "So there's someone in particular?" he asked.

I debated whether to say anything or not, maybe he'd have already figured it out after that cheerleader debacle... instead I just nodded.

"I can understand." Harold said meekly.

"Come on Harold, you know Patty still has feelings for you, you should go for it!" Gerald encouraged.

Harold considered this for a moment, "You think?"

Gerald scoffed, "Course man, at least you've got a chance... unlike my man Arnold here."

Harold turned to look at me, "Ouch. She doesn't feel the same way?" he asked.

"She can barely tolerate me." I said sadly.

Harold grimaced a little at my clearly woeful expression, and Gerald's nod of confirmation, "Tough break, sorry man." he said.

Gerald, Harold and I looked up at the shrill sound of the Coach's whistle, after taking a quick last sip of water we ran back out onto the field.


	5. Acting It Out

**Princess of Thieves**

Another school play, another lead role for Arnold and Helga. How will it turn out this time around?

_Disclaimer: I don't own Hey Arnold.  
The 'interpretation' and the basis for the 'script' I have used for the Robin Hood play is based very strongly on the Robin Hood TV Series from the BBC (circa 2006-2009). If you haven't ever watched it, you totally should. However, I would like to point out that I also do not own Robin Hood._

* * *

**March 18****th**** – Acting It Out**

Gerald and I sat side by side in the auditorium, quietly reading through our scripts. I lifted my eyes and looked out over the auditorium at my class mates. Sheena was standing by a large bag of fabrics, Eugene and Sid stood with her, analysing the various materials. Lila, Stinky and Harold were huddled together, trying to reason with Curly who was hanging by his legs from the lighting beam above the stage. I could vaguely hear the sounds of Curly, on the phone to Rhonda, excitedly informing her of his current escapade.

Helga and Phoebe sat toward the back of the auditorium; I attempted to swivel unsuspectingly in my seat to get a better look. Helga looked somewhat distressed and Phoebe was nodding and patting her gently on the shoulder. I smiled a little, her ponytail was messily coming loose and long stands of wavy blonde hair framed her pretty pale face.

Mr Simmons rushed into the auditorium at that moment, "Let's get started!" he announced eagerly as he made a beeline for his table.

"What scene would you like to begin with?" Phoebe enquired, moving toward the front of the auditorium.

Mr Simmons turned to search for Helga and I, "Helga, Arnold, I want to start with your rooftop scene."

I felt myself flinch a little at the mere mention of 'rooftops' and I could have sworn I saw Helga do the same. Helga rolled her eyes and let out a deep sigh, before making her way onto the stage and climbing into the second story of the 'house' which had now been assembled on stage. I stood at the edge of the straw thatching of the 'roof' outside her window.

"Okay, action!" Mr Simmons called out from below us.

Helga settled herself to rest by the window as I climbed my way over to her, pushing myself against the wall and lightly tapping at the window frame.

_"What are you doing here Robin?" Marian asked._

_"I came to visit, a night time walk if you will." Robin joked._

_"You're childish." Marian frowned._

_"I know you like it." Robin frowned in return._

Mr Simmons tinkled his 'interruption' bell and looked toward Helga, "Fantastic work Helga, your hostility toward Arnold is very realistic." he said, earning himself stupefied stares from just about everybody who were all probably thinking something along the lines of '_she doesn't even need to act, she's hostile toward him every single day'._

Unfazed by the odd looks, he continued, "Arnold, you're being far too serious with your lines. Robin is being playful in this situation; he is not bothered by Marian's tough attitude."

I nodded slowly, trying to understand how Robin could possibly have any idea how this woman felt with all these insults flying at his face. He must have been really smart.

"Take it from 'You're childish'" Mr Simmons instructed.

_"You're childish." Marian frowned._

_Robin smirked, "I know you like it."_

_"Why are you here Robin?" Marian glared._

_"You going to let me in?" Robin asked nonchalantly._

_"Robin, I'm wearing only my nightgown." Marian said, slightly taken back._

_"Fantastic. You going to let me in?" Robin smiled charmingly._

_"You can't just waltz back into my life like this." Marian responded softly._

_"I heard you're engaged." Robin asked, raising an eyebrow._

_Marian sighed, "Not officially."_

_"He's not right for you Marian." Robin said, a frown coming to his face._

_Marian stares at him a moment, "Goodnight" she says, as she walks away, leaving Robin at the window._

"Arnold! Don't look so sad as she walks away!" Mr Simmons called out.

"Why not?" I asked.

Mr Simmons looked at me like I was insane, "Because, Robin isn't sad. Marian loves him, not Guy. Robin _knows _that."

I stared at him blankly, "But, she just rejected me?"

Helga's head popped out from the window beside me, she laughed, "You just don't get it at all, do you Football Head? Marian will always love Robin. Robin knows he has her heart."

I frowned a little, trying to comprehend this fictional mind-game, "Why doesn't he just ask her to marry him then?"

Helga scoffed at my comment, "Are you crazy Hair Boy? Marian would never accept, she's too scared of losing him, first he needs to prove to her he'll be there for her... forever."

"So, Guy gives her stability and that's why she's considering his proposal – because she knows he'll always be around?" I questioned.

Helga nodded in response.

"But, since Robin left her before, and is an outlaw, she is worried he won't stick around?" I finished.

Helga shrugged, "That's part of it. Marian wants to be with Robin but she doubts his commitment and... whether she's really worth his commitment in the first place."

"Robin needs to prove to Marian that his heart is with her." Mr Simmons added, "You two can take a rest now, Sid and Gerald we will do your scene next."

I jumped from the stage and made myself comfortable in the second row of the audience section. Helga slowly made her way down to sit by Phoebe a few seats over in the front row, slumping down into the chair with her arms firmly crossed and a miserable expression. I smiled as I noticed Phoebe focussing intently on Gerald as he performed his lines on stage.

Mr Simmons looked away from the stage for a moment to make eye-contact, and promptly head over toward me.

"Arnold, I'm a little concerned." Mr Simmons began.

"Concerned?" I asked.

"You're doing a wonderful job as Robin but I don't think you fully understand the very _special _relationship between Robin and Marian." Mr Simmons explained.

"It's... confusing." I admitted

"I think you would benefit from spending some extra time with Helga..." Mr Simmons suggested, immediately gaining Helga's attention, "... practicing your scenes, so she can help you make more sense of the two characters' relationship."

Helga, who had quickly turned to face us, frowned at him, "Yeah, the imbecile needs help alright but can't you possibly get somebody else to help him? Anybody that _isn't _me!"

"Helga, you have a remarkable insight into this very _special_ bond of Robin and Marian, plus you're playing the role, I cannot see anybody better suited." Mr Simmons told her.

Helga sighed. I bit my lip nervously, hoping just maybe she would accept, it would be the first time we'd spent time alone together since fifth grade.

"Fine." Helga said, "Tomorrow morning, 11am, your house. Don't say I never did you any favours Football Head."

I nodded, trying to ward away the smile that threatened to show on my face, as Helga glared for a moment before turning herself around to face the stage again.


	6. Running Lines

**Princess of Thieves  
**Another school play, another lead role for Arnold and Helga. How will it turn out this time around?

_Disclaimer: I don't own Hey Arnold.  
The 'interpretation' and the basis for the 'script' I have used for the Robin Hood play is based very strongly on the Robin Hood TV Series from the BBC (circa 2006-2009). If you haven't ever watched it, you totally should. However, I would like to point out that I also do not own Robin Hood._

* * *

**March 19****th**** – Running Lines**

Hey Arnold! Hey Arnold! Hey Arnold! My alarm clock sang, as the bright morning sunlight hit my tired eyes. I hadn't slept much and here I was getting up early, all because Helga was coming over this morning.

I almost felt stupid as I ran around my room, tossing clothes into the closet, tidying papers off the desk and making everything look perfect. Helga hardly even cared to speak to or look at me; hence she surely wouldn't give a toss about the orderly appearance of my room.

I cast an appreciative glance over the room before rushing down the stairs for breakfast.

"Welcome to the Midwest Tex!" Grandma welcomed me, dressed head-to-toe in cowboy, or was that cowgirl, attire.

"Morning Grandma." I smiled as I sat down to plate of pancakes.

"Be on the lookout for Shady Sam" Grandma warned, "Kid's lookin' for a duel."

I smiled as I tasted the clear evidence of raspberries in the pancakes, "I will Grandma." I assured her.

"Morning short man, that's a sour look." Grandpa said as he entered the kitchen.

"Well it's ju-" I began.

"Nervous, eh?" Grandpa chuckled.

"Uh... I guess so." I admitted.

"The girl, eh?" Grandpa continued.

"Helga? Yeah, she's coming over to practice lines for the school play." I explained.

"Oh right, is that what you kids are calling it these days." Grandpa mused.

"Grandpa! I'm serious, we're practicing lines." I replied.

"When are you going to propose to dear Eleanor?" Grandpa enquired, as she placed a plate of pancakes down in front of Grandpa.

I sighed, "Never. Helga doesn't like me in that way, actually, she doesn't like me at all."

Grandpa snorted at me from across the table, "Ridiculous. That girl is goo-goo, la-la, loop de loop, up and down, roundabouts crazy for ya short man!"

I frowned as he took a large bite of his pancakes, "I doubt that Grandpa."

"Would ya like my advice?" Grandpa offered.

"Sure." I replied.

Grandpa looked down at his plate and back up to me, "Never eat raspberries!" he said, clutching his stomach and running toward his 'office'.

I looked over to Grandma, who was practicing her quick-draw on Abner, "Thanks for breakfast Grandma."

Blowing the 'steam' from her revolver, she smiled, "No problem Tex. I sense Eleanor has entered the saloon."

I raised an eyebrow, about to ask her what she meant, when I heard a loud knock on the front door. I opened the door and almost had a heart attack. Helga Pataki stood on my stoop wearing a dress, a cute simple sundress. I tried to force my eyes away, but they were stuck on her hips and those _legs._ I was becoming increasingly aware of the fact that I was gawking, and that I hadn't even said hello yet.

"Going to invite me inside or what Football Head?" Helga snarled.

"Uh, of course Helga, come inside." I offered as I began to lead the way to my room.

"Morning Eleanor!" Grandma greeted her as we passed by.

"Good morning." Helga responded, giving my Grandma a genuine smile, one of those rare ones that I _wish _she would give me.

Helga immediately threw her things onto the couch as we entered my room, pulled out her script and looked toward me expectantly.

"What scene?" Helga asked.

I shuffled nervously as I closed the door behind us, "I'm not too good at the scene where we dance in the forest."

Helga raised an eyebrow at me, "You mean the second sex scene?"

I nodded hesitantly, "I, uh, I mean, the dialogue _before _the uh, the... sex... scene."

Helga's frown lifted and she burst into laughter, "I have _never _heard anyone say the word sex so awkwardly!"

"I just don't like to say it." I defended.

Helga's laughing continued, "Sex, sex, sex!"

"Helga!" I blushed, "Stop saying that!"

"How will you possible be able to act out implied sex on stage if you can't even say the word, Arnoldo?" Helga enquired.

I shrugged, "Considering the circumstances it shouldn't be too difficult." I felt my eyes go wide, instantly regretting my choice of words. I waited for the backlash, but it didn't come. Helga simply looked at me suspiciously for a moment.

"So, uh, I'll get my script." I said, swiftly moving to retrieve my script from my desk.

Helga slowly lifted herself from the couch and stood before me, ready to begin. I once again reminded myself not to look at her legs, and once again failed. Shaking my head in an attempt to clear my thoughts, I flipped open to the correct page.

_"What's a noble lady like yourself doing here in the forest?" Robin smiled._

_"I saw you at the castle last night." Marian said._

_"And here I was thinking you had your full attention on your dance partner." Robin smirked._

_"I also noticed that the villagers had money for taxes and fresh meat this week." Marian raised an eyebrow._

_"Well," Robin smiled, "I'm glad."_

"No! Don't smile at that line!" Helga glared.

"Why? Should I not be happy that the villagers are happy?" I questioned.

Helga groaned and shook her head, "Robin isn't in it for the glory, he doesn't ever admit to having done things like that, he plays it down, keeps the anonymity."

"But she already knows..." I protested.

Helga rolled her eyes, "Course she does Football Head, but he doesn't need people to congratulate him, he just goes about his business. Besides, Marian keeps changing the subject and he is _trying _to get her to talk about Sir Guy."

I nodded with a small smile.

"Let's try again." Helga sighed.

_"I also noticed that the villagers had money for taxes and fresh meat this week." Marian raised an eyebrow._

_"Well," Robin shrugged nonchalantly, "I'm glad."_

Helga shot me a smile, one of those amazing smiles, for getting it right the second time around. I bit my lip nervously.

_"I worry about you getting caught." Marian admitted softly._

_"I worry about you dancing with the devil." Robin countered._

_"Life's not always as simple as you seem to think Robin." Marian said, crossing her arms defensively._

_Robin shook his head, "No, but you can fight to make it less complicated."_

_"I already fight too much." Marian frowned._

_"I can dance better than him, you know." Robin flirted, moving closer toward her._

_Marian looked at him intrigued, "Are you bragging?" _

_"No. Demonstrating." Robin said, holding out his hand, "May I have this dance?"_

_Marian looked sceptically at his hand before slowly taking it, "You may."_

I gently placed my free hand on Helga's waist and felt her shake a little. I bit down on my tongue as I felt the warm fuzzy sensation of butterflies turn into a torturous volcano in my stomach the closer I held her.

_"When is the engagement official?" Robin enquired._

_"Soon as I say yes." Marian responded._

_Robin raised an eyebrow, "Have you not already?"_

_"What does it matter to you Robin?" Marian glared._

_Robin dipped her in his arms, "Matters more than you think."_

_"Guy loves me." Marian objected._

_Robin brought her back up and scoffed, "You're ignoring what's right in front of you."_

_"I'm better off this way." Marian said defensively._

_"You're better off hiding away from the truth?" Robin pushed._

_"Yes." _Helga said.

I shot her a confused look, "Helga, your line is 'maybe not' not 'yes'."

Helga glanced away, "Oh... yeah." she mumbled.

"Shall we go from my line?" I asked, receiving a nod of agreement.

_"You're better off hiding away from the truth?" Robin pushed._

_"Maybe not." Marian said softly._

Helga abruptly pulled herself away from my embrace, "Right, and then that's where we kiss and you take me to the treehouse. Not that we have to practise any of that... which I'm _glad about_. We only have to do that on the night." she rambled, shooting me a painful glare.

I nodded slowly in agreement, "Well, we can, um, practice the carrying, but... just not the kiss... you know, until show night."

"Yes, no kissing until we absolutely have to. I know I'm certainly dreading it. I'd rather have a root canal than kiss you!" Helga said, crossing her arms grumpily.

I averted my gaze to the floor for a few moments, trying not to let her comment get to me. If ever there was clear indication that Helga had absolutely no feelings for me, then that was it just then.

I steadied myself with a deep breath and turned my attention back to the situation at hand, "How would you like to be carried?"

Helga's eyes shifted a little, "Uh, Mr Simmons said he wanted me to, um, jump into your arms and wrap... my legs... around your waist, to be carried to the treehouse." she frowned, "Something about it giving a stronger implication of intimacy."

I felt myself wince a little, "That's... full on."

"Hah" Helga laughed, "Just wait until you hear what he has planned for the final scene Football Head!"

I looked at her for a moment, waiting for elaboration, but it never came. Instead, I racked my brain for possible situations, but my thoughts were interrupted as Helga stepped closer to resume our dancing positions.

"So, I say 'maybe not' and then we kiss and mid-kiss I will jump into your arms." Helga clarified.

"Maybe, um, we should practise it? Th-the jump, I mean!" I suggested, inwardly scolding myself for being a stuttering idiot.

Helga reluctantly nodded and jumped into my arms. I quickly caught hold of her legs, my breath catching as I felt her soft warm skin on my hands. I looked to the floor, concentrating on breathing evenly as I felt her legs slowly wrap around and squeeze my waist.

Helga's eyes caught mine as I slightly shifted my stance, her deep blue eyes were wide and sparkling like I'd never seen before. She wasn't scowling at me, but she looked almost worried.

I felt her quiver a little, "Are you okay?" I asked softly.

Helga broke eye contact, ignoring my question, "So, now we would need to keep kissing while you carry me into the treehouse." she said tentatively.

I bit down hard on my lip as I felt her breath close to my neck. I must have been imagining it, but I swore her face was getting closer.

"Uh, when do we stop kissing?" I asked.

I watched her lips as she whispered, "Once you lay me down in the treehouse, the curtains will drop."

Helga's lips were pink and glossy, they sparkled underneath the sunlight pouring into my room. Helga's lips were close, they were close to mine. I felt her steady breath just inches away from me.

"Okay!" Helga announced, springing from my arms and quickly grabbing her belongings from the couch, "We've practiced enough for today."

"Uh, would you like something to eat?" I asked, playing nervously with the hem of my shirt.

Helga's eyes went wide, "No way Football Head, I gotta get going. I'm late for... something... um, something important."

Seconds later, I heard the front door slam shut, and I fell backward onto my bed with a sigh.


	7. Sid Takes The Girl

**Princess of Thieves  
**Another school play, another lead role for Arnold and Helga. How will it turn out this time around?

_Disclaimer: I don't own Hey Arnold.  
The 'interpretation' and the basis for the 'script' I have used for the Robin Hood play is based very strongly on the Robin Hood TV Series from the BBC (circa 2006-2009). If you haven't ever watched it, you totally should. However, I would like to point out that I also do not own Robin Hood._

* * *

**March 21****st ****– Sid Takes The Girl**

Helga hadn't spoken a word to me since, well, whatever it was that happened at my house. I had played it over in my mind a thousand times, maybe more. She had been so close, so pretty, so warm, her lips were sparkling, her gaze was soft and... I swear it wasn't one sided, I could have sworn _she _leaned in too.

I sighed as I stared up at the auditorium ceiling, spread out over a row of chairs. I'd honestly have given anything to go back, go back and re-do the entire FTI rooftop debacle. Helga would have told me she loved me and I would have blissfully ignored our time restraints and told her I loved her back. At the very least, I wanted to re-do that moment where I stood in the middle of that road, with the sun rising behind us, and not let the stupid words '_heat of the moment_' escape my lips.

I cursed myself inwardly, who cares if I was only nine at the time, I had ignored my inner voice... I ignored my 'good instincts'. If only Grandpa hadn't been so cryptic!

"Arnold? Arnold!" A voice interrupted me.

I rubbed my eyes and sat up to look at the person who had been attempting to gain my attention.

Sid.

"Boy howdy Arnold, I said your name a hundred times!" Sid exclaimed.

"I don't think it was quite a hundred." I said icily, memories of Harold's words springing to my mind, '_I think Sid's planning on trying his luck again after the play though, they've been practicing lines together or something.'_

Sid gave me a confused look, "Uh, well... It's time to practice for our scene."

I forced a smile, "Sure Sid."

Sid jumped up onto the stage and took his position on the steps of the 'castle' and I slowly made my way to join him.

"Action!" Mr Simmons cried out enthusiastically, momentarily looking up from Sheena's increasingly large bag of costuming supplies.

_"Robin Hood, so good to see you again." Sir Guy smirked._

_"I assume you lured me here for a reason Sir Guy." Robin said with an unappreciative look._

_"You're impatient." Sir Guy noted sternly._

_Robin shrugged, "Some say I'm childish."_

_"I plan to kill you." Sir Guy said casually._

_"Wouldn't expect less from you.." Robin said, drawing his sword, "but I certainly don't plan to let you."_

_Sir Guy scoffed, flippantly waving his hand, "Put the sword away Hood. I don't plan on killing you today."_

_Robin lowered his sword and smirked, "No time like the present."_

_Sir Guy sneered at him, "I wouldn't want you to miss my wedding, you see."_

_Robin stepped toward him, "Your wedding?"_

_"Marian and I are to wed, this Sunday." Sir Guy announced triumphantly._

_"I see. You know she'd be upset if you were to kill me, so you're waiting until after she says 'I do'." Robin summarised, "Manipulative... even for you."_

_"I do not know what you're doing wrong Hood but you drove that woman right into my arms." Sir Guy mocked._

_Robin raised his sword toward Sir Guy, "Marian does as she wishes."_

_Sir Guy scoffed, "She loves you, but she's so damn adamant not let you love her back."_

_Robin raised an eyebrow, "You say that and, yet, you're still set to marry her?"_

_Sir Guy glared at Robin, drawing his sword, "I'll be sure to think of you when I take Marian to our marriage bed on Sunday night." he said rudely._

_"Thanks for the sentiment." Robin replied, lunging his sword toward Sir Guy._

_Sir Guy blocked Robin's sword, moving to the side and swinging at his legs. Robin jumped, narrowly avoiding his blade, and swinging upward causing Sir Guy's sword to fall from his hands and crash to the ground._

_Robin placed his sword to Sir Guy's neck, "This conversation is over." Robin hissed, slowly removing his sword from Sir Guy's neck and returning it to its holster._

_"I don't want to see you anywhere near the church on Sunday." Sir Guy warned._

_Robin glared at him, "Wouldn't dream of it." he said, as he turned around and left._

Mr Simmons clapped enthusiastically, "Excellent work Sid and Arnold!" he exclaimed happily, "Next scene everybody!"

Sid followed my lead as I descended the stage, "I'm really looking forward to opening night." he told me.

"Okay." I nodded meekly.

Sid studied my face for a moment, possibly trying to decode my suddenly hostile behaviour, but eventually he let it go and moved a few seats down. I was relieved, until I saw _who_ he had taken a seat next to.

I felt a twinge of jealousy run through me as he greeted her, and she offered him a genuine smile.

"What did you think of my scene?" Sid asked her proudly.

I glared as I swear I heard a small giggle escape Helga's lips, "You did well my husband." she responded playfully.

Sid chuckled happily at her response, "Glad you think so, my soon-to-be-wife!" he said, earning him a light punch in the arm in return.

I felt my shoulders tense as he shot her a flirty smile, "What're you doing after practice?" he asked.

He was asking her out! I felt my fists clench beside me... she was smiling.

Helga shrugged, "Phoebe's sticking around here after rehearsals so I guess I'm pretty much on my own."

I moved awkwardly in my seat, attempting to wriggle away the little stabbing pains that were coursing through my chest.

"Well, maybe we could go get some ice cream at Slaussen's." Sid casually suggested.

Sid had just _casually and cooly _asked Helga Pataki on a date, he had approached the girl I had been in love with for god knows how long and made her _giggle, smile _and _go on a date with him. _I couldn't decide what I wanted to do more, kill something or cry.

Helga nodded slowly, "Sure." she said, maybe I had imagined it but it seemed at least a _little _half-hearted.

I suddenly became aware that I had begun hitting my clenched fist against my thigh, and I slumped down miserably into my chair. I felt horrible, Sid was a friend, and right now all I wanted to do was hit him. I was broken from my thoughts as Harold took a seat beside me.

"Hi." I said dismally.

"Have you ever told her?" Harold asked immediately.

I laughed nervously, slightly embarrassed by my clearly obvious display of envy, "What do you mean?"

Harold ignored my feigned confusion, "I gotta say, I was pretty surprised, but the more I consider it the more it makes sense."

I frowned at him, "I'm beginning to think it makes no sense at all." I sighed.

"Does she know?" Harold asked again.

"No way." I said defensively.

"Why not?" Harold responded.

"Harold, we hardly ever talk and whenever we do she's completely hostile. I'd just end up with a black eye and a flat-out rejection." I reasoned.

"I gotta say, I think this is the first time I've ever seen the star quarterback _not _get the girl." Harold mocked.

I rolled my eyes, "Thanks for the support." I said sarcastically.

"No problem!" Harold laughed.


	8. Football Finals

**Princess of Thieves  
**Another school play, another lead role for Arnold and Helga. How will it turn out this time around?

_Disclaimer: I don't own Hey Arnold.  
The 'interpretation' and the basis for the 'script' I have used for the Robin Hood play is based very strongly on the Robin Hood TV Series from the BBC (circa 2006-2009). If you haven't ever watched it, you totally should. However, I would like to point out that I also do not own Robin Hood._

* * *

**March 22****nd**** – Football Finals**

Helga Pataki was sitting in the stands, upper section, fourth row, three seats in and directly next to Phoebe. I felt my breath catch a little, she had her long blonde hair down, spilling over her shoulders in gentle waves as she wrote furiously in her small pink notebook, she was gorgeous.

I shook my head violently, trying yet again to force my thoughts away from Helga and back onto the line of scrimmage, where I was _supposed _to be listening to the calls of my teammates. I glanced over to the clock in the stands above me, there was merely seconds left in the game, this was the final play for sure. Winning would take us to the Championship game, but we needed a touchdown.

Around me my teammates braced for the final run, as I took one last glance into the stands, Helga had looked up from her notebook, her eyes focussed on me. She was watching. I felt the ball hit my hands hard, promptly straightening up to cast my eyes over the field of play. Gerald was making good distance on his defender, I took a deep breath, we'd done this a hundred times, we could do this now. Slipping the ball carefully through my fingers with calculated power, I sent it in Gerald's direction, my heart thumping at my chest.

Gerald locked his eyes to the ball, carefully snatching it as it fell into his hands just inches before running successfully into the end zone. I felt the rush of air leaving my lungs in relief, to be replaced by the adrenaline rush of success.

"Touchdown!" the referee bellowed from the sidelines.

Gerald hurtled toward me, "Nice one!" he beamed, placing his hand opposite mine for our signature hand-shake.

Suddenly, the piercing noise of the final siren filled the air around us and the opposing team members approached to shake hands. I politely shook hands, took vigorous pats on the back and thanked people for their comments before making my way over to join Gerald and Harold, speaking to our friends on the sidelines.

Gerald hung over the railing, smiling enthusiastically in Phoebe's direction as she praised his talents.

"That was great!" Harold grinned as I made my approach.

"Yeah!" Stinky chimed in from over the barrier, "On a counta that means you're goin' to the Championship game!"

"Thanks guys." I said happily.

"Arnold! Gerald!" Rhonda squealed, rushing over to us in her cheerleading uniform, "You're going to the Championship game! I'll be cheering in the Championship game! I'm so excited!"

"You'll be the prettiest one there." Curly purred as he swiftly jumped the railing and took her in his arms.

"They're saying we can increase the squad too!" Rhonda said, giggling as Curly tickled her waist, "They allow 30 cheerleaders a squad at the Championship game."

Harold groaned, "I didn't even know we _had _30 cheerleaders."

Helga rolled her eyes, "Yuck. They're going to be like rabbits in heat over whichever team wins." she said bitterly, causing Phoebe beside her to let out a small giggle.

"Boy howdy, imagine all that attention, you could pick any girl you wanted." Sid remarked, giving Harold a playful nudge.

"Not for me." Harold explained with an infectious grin, "I'm a taken man."

"Oh my! I thought I saw you and Patty holding hands today, I'm ever so happy for you both." Lila gushed.

"Well, I guess that leaves all the ladies for you two." Stinky said, pointing between Gerald and I.

"I bet as Championship quarter back you could get just about any girl in the entire world." Sid said to me.

Involuntarily, my eyes flicked to Helga, who was looking at something behind with me a scornful glare "Not every girl wants me Sid." I assured him sadly.

Gerald let out a laugh, "Here comes one now, actually." he informed me.

I raised my eyebrow in confusion at Gerald's comment until I felt something brush against my arm, "Well done out there." said Melissa, the brunette cheerleader who had been mercilessly flowing me around all week.

"Uh, thanks." I responded awkwardly, slipping my arm away from her grasp.

"You looked fantastic out there. You have fantastic handling skills." Melissa giggled.

I frowned slightly, "Uh, thanks." I repeated.

"I just wanted to ask.." Melissa fluttered her eyelashes and moved in closer, ".. if you had a girlfriend?"

I panicked, I _was _single, but I didn't want _her_ to know that and I couldn't very well blurt out that I was in love with the girl standing on the opposite side of the railing. I hastily searched my surroundings and noticed Lila standing close by.

"Y-Yeah!" I spluttered, moving my hand around Lila's waist, "I have a girlfriend... Lila is my girlfriend."

Lila stared at me with a questioning glare and I shot her back a look of desperation, to which she nodded slightly, "I, uh... Yes, we are ever so happy together." she said somewhat unconvincingly.

Melissa looked at us for a moment, before shrugging, "Oh well, if things don't work out between you and your little redhead then give me a call." she said before sauntering off across the field.

"Thanks Lila." I said with relief, swiftly removing my arm from her waist the moment Melissa departed.

Lila, however, was not paying attention to a word I said; instead she looked around frantically with fear in her eyes before taking off into the locker-room hallway.

"Where the heck is she going?" Rhonda asked.

"I don't know but Phoebe ran off down that same hallway a few moments before Lila." Gerald responded, looking quizzically toward the corridor.

"And where is Helga?" Curly added.

Stinky sighed and shook his head, "Women, I jus' don't understand 'em."

"I better go find them." I said worriedly, hoping my spur-of-the-moment plan to get Melissa off my back had not somehow insulted Lila.

"Yeah, go man." Gerald encouraged as I set off toward them.

Halfway down the corridor, I found them, Helga leaning against the wall with her arms firmly crossed, Phoebe with a hand on her shoulder and Lila attempting to tell them something. I approached slowly, hearing Lila utter the words 'Arnie' and 'happy' and 'long distance relationship'.

Lila and Arnie had begun dating over a year ago, she sent him a pack of plain-flavoured gum each week and he sent her a list of things he'd counted over the previous seven days in return. Most people, including myself, found it a little creepy, but they made each other incredibly happy and that's what mattered.

Phoebe noticed my presence and looked up at me with concern, "Hello" I said politely.

Lila spun to face me, a concerned smile covering her face, "Arnold! I was just talking about Arnie, and how I'm _dating _him and I love him so very much." she babbled.

Helga, who had refused to look in my direction, sent her a glare.

I wondered why Lila was making such a big deal about Arnie, "Okay... How are things between you two? I haven't spoken to him in months." I responded.

"Oh ever so well thankyou Arnold, I will be visiting him during the summer break." Lila beamed.

"I'm glad. Arnie will love that, every time I call he's always gushing about you... well, you know, 'gushing' in a, uh, monotone kind of way." I smiled back.

Lila giggled mercilessly and blushed at my comment.

"Uh, so thanks again for helping me back there. I just wanted her to leave me alone." I explained.

"She certainly did seem ever so interested in you Arnold." Lila said, snapping from her giggle fit.

I frowned, "She's been bugging me for weeks, I don't know what on earth she wanted from me but she said a whole bunch of weird stuff."

Helga immediately scoffed at me, "Oh please Football Head, she wanted to fuck you."

"WHAT?" I shouted, flinching a little at her choice of words.

Phoebe calmly nodded from beside her, "I concur, it seems certain that she was interested in a physical encounter."

I shook my head a little, "How could you possibly know that?" I asked.

Helga rolled her eyes, "She was talking about the way you handed the ball!" she said, pausing a moment to register the non-comprehension plastered on my face, "As in... '_please also handle me well, oh great football headed quarterback'_"

Phoebe giggled beside her.

"It's like the girl from our Calculus class." Lila piped up.

I raised an eyebrow, "What girl?"

Lila looked at me like I was crazy for a brief moment, "Chloe... I'm ever so certain she is always checking you out and she certainly is always telling you how 'strong' you look."

"So... that's some kind of code?" I asked incredulously.

Phoebe let out a pained sigh, "I do believe those are called subtle hints, Arnold." she explained.

"Arnold, I'm certain these things happen to you very often. I am ever so shocked you have not noticed." Lila informed me.

"Oh please, he's dense." Helga said bluntly.

I let out a shallow sigh, "Gee, thanks Helga."

"You should be thanking us Arnoldo, we've opened up a whole new world of understanding for you, now you can head off and call up one of your little sluts." Helga glared icily.

Phoebe took her hand from Helga's shoulder and gasped, "Oh dear, Helga that's not very n-"

"Helga, you know I don't do stuff like that." I shot back at her.

Helga stepped forward from the wall to stare me down, "Well why don't you start?" You may as well!" she yelled.

"No Helga, I don't want to." I said softly, as I turned away and headed for the changing rooms.

I heard the sound of Helga's fit hitting the corridor wall as I walked away, and the little squeak of pain that followed. I wondered sadly to myself what on earth had made her so angry.


	9. You're Bad At It

**Princess of Thieves  
**Another school play, another lead role for Arnold and Helga. How will it turn out this time around?

_Disclaimer: I don't own Hey Arnold.  
The 'interpretation' and the basis for the 'script' I have used for the Robin Hood play is based very strongly on the Robin Hood TV Series from the BBC (circa 2006-2009). If you haven't ever watched it, you totally should. However, I would like to point out that I also do not own Robin Hood._

* * *

**March 24****th**** – You're Bad At It**

'_Your eyes, like two green jellybeans, are pools I want to bathe in'_

Despite the fact I was never certain the little pink book that still sat on my bookshelf had once belonged to Helga, I supposed it was fair to assume it had. Helga _had _told me on top of the FTI Building that she wrote poems.

I sighed, reading the poems made me smile about how much she had adored me, but it only hurt to remember that was in the past.

"Arnold!" Grandpa's voice sounded from downstairs, "Your little friend is here!"

I frowned and quickly replaced the book onto the top shelf of my bookcase, wondering why Gerald would be stopping by at this time, considering he should be at Basketball practice.

I barely made it to the door when it flew open before my eyes, almost taking me with it, and in rushed the most beautiful girl in the world, looking like she was about to kill me. I guess that it _shouldn't _have turned me on, but well, it did.

"Helga! Uh... Hi." I shouted, a blush creeping over my cheeks at the completely impure thoughts that had occupied my mind upon her entry.

"Cut it with the pleasantries." Helga growled at me in return.

"Why are you here?" I asked, staring at her as she threw her bag onto my floor and rummaged through its contents.

Helga frowned at me, "We need to practice the scene before the wedding, the one where we're talking."

"Uh... Why?" I questioned.

"Because you're bad at it." Helga said, her voice filled with absolute disdain.

I shrugged, deciding it would be best just to do as she said, and collected my script. Helga pulled her script from the depths of her bag and flipped quickly to the correct page.

_"Robin..." Marion frowned._

_"Why?" Robin asked._

_"Why? You want to know why?" Marian asked in exasperation._

_"You don't love him!" Robin protested._

_"I can learn to love him." Marian replied sternly_

_"You so sure about that?" Robin questioned._

_"I need somebody who can be there for me, somebody to give ME love." Marian shot back._

_Robin reached out to take her hand, _Helga flinched as if she hadn't expected me to play out the stage direction.

_"Marian.." he said softly._

_"What Robin?" He has a castle, he's a knight, he can protect me and look after me!" Marian defended._

_"Listen to yourself!" Robin cried out, "Justifying your marriage with a list of features. Love! Marriage is about love!"_

_Marian carefully lifted her hand to Robin's cheek, _I shivered as I felt Helga's skin brush over mine, for someone who used her fists so often her hands were remarkably soft.

_"Maybe I don't believe in love." Marian said sadly._

_"Why?" Robin asked._

_"Because love isn't fair!" Marian protested._

_Robin took hold of her hands, "You won't let it be fair."_

_Marian jerked her hands from his, crossing them firmly over her body, "I'm stronger without it."_

_"Strength and denial are two different things Marian." Robin warned._

_Marian placed her hand on Robin's shoulder, "Tomorrow I marry Sir Guy. Farewell Robin."_

I waited as Helga's hand lingered on my shoulder, not pulling away to walk off stage as she should have. Helga's gaze found mine and we both darted our eyes elsewhere immediately.

"T-That, uh, went well." I stuttered, my mind focussed on the warmth of Helga's hand on my shoulder.

"Yeah, maybe we didn't need to practice after all." Helga said softly.

Clearing my throat nervously, I shifted closer toward her, "I think it was a good idea." I mumbled.

Helga's lifted her face, but kept her eyes away from mine, "Yeah, a good idea." she repeated.

"Hey, uh, Helga..." I breathed.

Helga's eyes flickered to meet mine for a fleeting moment, "What?" she asked.

"Well, I had something, um... I wanted to talk to you about." I gulped.

Helga glanced toward me fearfully, "Okay" she said, taking her hand from my shoulder and stepping backward, "Well make it quick I don't have all day." she suddenly snapped, crossing her arms.

I felt my heart beat faster, was I really planning on doing this? I felt like I could hardly think. I played nervously with the hem of my green sweater.

"Well, I know we don't talk much anymore..." I started off slowly.

Helga rolled her eyes at me, "We don't talk ever Football Head." she reminded me.

I sighed, maybe now wasn't the right time, I decided to switch the direction of the discussion a little, "Yeah... Never, and it's just that... I'd like it if we talked me."

Helga's face softened slightly, the fierce frown from earlier disappearing, "You would?" she asked as though I was joking.

"Yeah Helga, I mean you're so... I mean, um, I enjoy spending time with you." I struggled, catching my breath between words.

I felt Helga look me up and down, "Oh." she said in response.

I bit my lip and clenched my shaking fists, it was time to tell her, "I-I had something r-really important I... I wanted to tell you but, uh... just hear me out okay? A-and please just don't hurt me..."

Helga glared, a panicked look crossing her face, "Why Hair Boy? Am I not going to like what you have to say?" she snarled.

I took a deep breath, "I, uh, I don't know... but well, well what I wanted to t-tell you is th-"

I jumped in shock as a loud ringing noise filled my bedroom; Helga quickly glanced over to her bag and reached in.

"I better get this." Helga commented as she lifted her phone to her face.

Frantic words erupted from the speakers, a gruff deep voice speaking a mile a minute about something. Helga frowned, "No Bob! There is no way I'm doing that!" she growled into the receiver, before sighing some moments later and adding, "Fine, I'll be home soon."

"I gotta hit the road Football Head, dearest _Ol-ga _is making an impromptu visit." Helga reported unhappily.

I felt a funny churning in my stomach knowing how upset Olga's visits made her, "Okay." I responded.

Helga threw everything back into her bag and headed toward the stairs, "Oh, what was that thing you were going to tell me?" she asked inquisitively as she hovered in my doorway.

"Never mind Helga." I assured her.

Helga shrugged, "See ya." she said, making her way out of the Boarding House.

I dropped my head into my hands, let out a deep sigh and flopped back onto my bed in defeat.

* * *

**Few notes/replies to my reviewers :)**

Harold: Yeah, he's a little more 'grown up', he'll never be super smart but he's a little more in tune with the world, this is Patty's doing, she's a pretty clued-in girl really, spending time close to her would have opened Harold's eyes a lot (just like in the episode Harold vs Patty, where he takes a more mature approach in the end)

Gerald: He totally doesn't understand Arnold's love for Helga BUT he'll always be supportive of his friend no matter what. Plus, he's pretty _distracted _by Phoebe, who happens to be Helga's best friend, so that keeps him pretty quiet about the whole thing.

Sid: He's just totally oblivious, IF he was to know about Arnold's feelings for Helga then yes he would probably back off, but he honestly has no idea. As for Sid's intentions with Helga, he doesn't want to be her boyfriend and buy her things and sing romantic songs and blah blah... he just wants to make-out! However, she knows this, he's not intending to lead anybody on.

Adrianne Hershae: Yeah, I actually don't really love writing in first person either, but for this one I really wanted it to be super Arnold-centric and hence I chose to do it in first person. Thanks for your positive feedback :)

__Sandra-TheStig-Pullman: Sid doesn't have 'legitimate' feelings for Helga at all (and vice versa of course) he just wants more of those super-kisses! Sid's 'non-committed' behavior at the football game will also be explained in upcoming chapter 10, where we will find out what happened between them on their 'date' at Slaussen's (which was the night before the football game).

Belld-chan: Couldn't have said it better myself, haha!

Kirei-Tsuki: Hey, hey, I totally care about Sid, I gave him the total honor of kissing Helga G. Pataki in seventh grade - he should thank me! ;) haha


	10. Helga Revealed

**Princess of Thieves**

Another school play, another lead role for Arnold and Helga. How will it turn out this time around?

_Disclaimer: I don't own Hey Arnold.  
The 'interpretation' and the basis for the 'script' I have used for the Robin Hood play is based very strongly on the Robin Hood TV Series from the BBC (circa 2006-2009). If you haven't ever watched it, you totally should. However, I would like to point out that I also do not own Robin Hood._

* * *

**March 25****th**** - Helga Revealed**

Mr Simmons bounded joyfully into the auditorium with Sheena following close behind, both lugging large black bags.

"Today is a very special day!" Mr Simmons squealed as he bustled his way to the front of the stage, "Our costumes are ready!"

Excited murmurs filled the room, and the eyes of each and every person focussed intently on the large black bags before us.

"We will be doing a full dress rehearsal today in preparation for opening night tomorrow." Mr Simmons explained, "You've each been assigned a dressing room and once you've received your costume today you can head there to change and prepare yourselves. Sheena will be moving from room to room and helping you with your costumes, hair and make-up. Helga, your costume is very _special_, so Phoebe will stay with you to help out."

Sheena began carefully pulling costume bags from the large pile before her, handing them out to their respective owners.

"Arnold, here is yours." Sheena smiled enthusiastically at me, placing a heavy brown bag into my arms.

I wandered my way slowly down into the corridor, taking note of who was in what dressing room. Gerald was in number one, Helga was in number two and I was in number five. I closed the door gently behind me, taking the time to inspect my dressing room, it was nice and clean, a decent size with good lighting.

Hanging the costume bag onto the rack near the mirror, I slowly opened it to reveal the contents. I pulled out a large pair of dark brown boots with several buckles, and a pair of fawn coloured pants which were slim but thankfully not tights. I looked over two shirts, one a green undershirt and the other a ruffed-up loose brown shirt to go over the top. I was at least relieved they hadn't gone with the traditional felt hat and green tights ensemble.

After pulling my costume on, I rifled through my bag of accessories, which included a rolled up rope, a small arrow head trinket and a utility piece with a row of knives and a place for my sword. My bow was carried in an animal-skin looking bag, with an array of arrows inside.

"Hello Arnold, are you ready for make-up?" Sheena's voice said, as she lightly tapped on my door.

"Yeah, come in Sheena." I replied, turning to help her as she struggled to haul the extensive make-up case into my dressing room.

"Your make-up will be simple." Sheena explained, dipping her fingers into a dark brown paste, "Just a few slicks of brown 'dirt' and a few fake scratches."

Sheena messily patted the brown dirt-like substance onto random places, before picking up a pointed brush and blending thick red and pink lines into my skin to make surprisingly realistic wounds.

"What do you think Arnold?" Sheena asked proudly as I admired her work in the brightly lit mirror.

"Looks great Sheena, just like the costumes." I grinned back at her.

Sheena laughed happily, "Oh, well, I can't take all the credit for the costumes, I had lots of help from Eugene, Phoebe and Helga."

I snapped my head around to face her, "Helga actually helped you?" I enquired in surprise.

Sheena paused and looked thoughtfully toward me, "Yes, I suppose that may come as a shock to some... but, she can be a very nice girl, she's just harsh with her words. I believe she responds and communicates better with body language and actions."

I raised my brow at her, "That's a deep observation..."

"It's obvious in her acting, she plays emotions so well physically." Sheena pointed out.

"I guess you're right." I said thoughtfully, resolving to pay more attention to Helga's body language in future.

"You and Helga have fantastic chemistry." Sheena added with a joyful smile.

I averted my eyes, feeling my cheeks grow warm, "Ah, thanks."

"Well, I had better be off to help Gerald!" Sheena chirped, clutching the large case of beauty essentials in her hands again and towing it out the door.

I swung my arrow bag over my shoulder and headed out into the auditorium. Eugene, Harold, Curly and Stinky were standing together, admiring and comparing each other's costumes. Theirs looked similar to mine, just with slightly toned down colours and less detail.

Lila was standing by a mirror placing a large golden chain around her neck, her hair was in ringlet curls and her dress dropped to the ground with red and gold velvet panels sprawling out from the golden corset that showed off her petite frame.

"You look great Lila." I smiled, as she turned around from the mirror, finally pleased with the placement of her necklace.

Lila grinned, stroking the velvet of her dress, "Oh, thankyou Arnold!" she said cheerfully, "Would you be ever so kind as to take a picture to send to Arnie?"

"No problem." I assured her, as I snapped a quick photo.

"I certainly hope he likes it." Lila giggled, a small blush covering her cheeks.

"Of course he will!" Sid assured her confidently, as he strode over toward us.

Sid was dressed in black pants, with an assortment of weapons attached to the belt, and a studded black leather jacket with metal armour pieces on the shoulders.

"The costumes sure turned out nice." Sid continued, pulling out and admiring the dramatic black and golden sword attached to his belt.

Lila nodded eagerly, "I am ever so certain the studs suit you Sid." she complimented him.

Sid grinned back at her, "My costume for the wedding scene is even better! It's big studded armour stuff!"

"There's different costumes for the wedding scene?" I blurted, my mind flickering through images of Helga wearing a big white dress.

"Yeah." Sid said casually, "Just for me and Helga, she's got a huge gold and white wedding gown apparently."

"How is things goin' with Miss Helga?" Stinky enquired loudly as he wandered over.

Sid shrugged coolly, "Nothing much came of our date at Slaussen's... and she turned down my offer to see a movie. I just wanted to make out or somthin'"

"I think it seems certain that Helga is just not interested." Lila said politely.

"Yeah, figured as much... No problem, she's just some girl – plenty more where she came from!" Sid chuckled.

I felt myself tense a little at the comment. Just some girl? _Just?_ Fortunately, my thoughts were interrupted by Gerald's arrival.

"Hey man, check my style!" Gerald said smoothly, as he sauntered over running his hands over the faux fur on his shoulders.

Gerald's regal ensemble consisted of a silk black shirt with intricate gold embroidery and large puffy shoulder pads, matched with simple black pants and completed with a jewelled golden crown adorning his head.

"Lookin' pretty sharp for an evil guy." Gerald smirked proudly.

"Our costumes look ever so good together!" Lila said excitedly, as she compared the gold of her corset to the golden details on his shirt cuffs.

Gerald chuckled, "Lila, baby, we're gonna be the star couple." he assured her.

Lila's eyes looked past him for a moment and her eyes widened, "Somehow, I don't think so..." she said softly, as she pointed over toward the stage.

Helga appeared before us, biting her lip nervously, causing gasps of shock around the auditorium as the light hit the hints of bronzer on her cheeks and sparkled with the pale golden eye shadow above her long false lashes. Tousled blonde curls fell from the loosely styled bun in her hair, a few curls falling to frame her face and the delicate golden chain around her neck. Helga's elegant gown dipped dangerously low, the corset-style top with vibrant blue sparkles was low cut, creating amazing cleavage that was _insanely_ difficult to stop looking at. Underneath the buttons of the corset at the front, the dress flowed down to the ground with sky blue fabric and at the back, criss-crosses of blue and white ribbon flowed into a white panel with sparkled swirls.

Helga looked amazing, like a medieval goddess.

Lila immediately rushed over to Helga, "Oh my! Helga, you look oh so amazing!" she squealed.

Helga sighed as she swished her gown a little, "That's what Pheebs said. I mean, sure the dress is nice but I'm still just... me."

"Oh Helga, you should not be so harsh on yourself." Phoebe frowned.

I wondered briefly how anybody, herself or otherwise, could look at her and _not_ see it, not see those bright blue eyes, not see how soft and delicate her pale skin looked, not see that cute little nose, not see-

"Nah, you're lookin' hot!" Sid affirmed, raising his eyebrows at her from across the room and breaking me from my wistful thoughts.

Helga crossed her arms angrily, which didn't do much to help the distracting cleavage situation, "Keep it to yourself, bucko!" she snarled.

I smiled for a moment, enjoying the new-found relief of no longer needing to worry about Sid, before quickly returning my gaze to Helga and falling back into a dreamy trance.


	11. Practicing The Last

**Princess of Thieves  
**Another school play, another lead role for Arnold and Helga. How will it turn out this time around?

_Disclaimer: I don't own Hey Arnold.  
The 'interpretation' and the basis for the 'script' I have used for the Robin Hood play is based very strongly on the Robin Hood TV Series from the BBC (circa 2006-2009). If you haven't ever watched it, you totally should. However, I would like to point out that I also do not own Robin Hood._

* * *

**NEWS:** midnight-sun-dancer on Deviantart has done some artwork for this story which is fantastic! You can check it out at the link below (minus spaces of course)

browse . deviantart/ # / d5oss2d

.

* * *

**March 26****th**** – Practicing The Last**

Today was our final rehearsals before opening night. I looked up as Sid and Gerald concluded their scene on stage, earning a bright smile fro Mr Simmons, who eagerly clapped at their performance and flipped the pages of his script to the next scene.

"It's time to practice the very _special _last two scenes!" Mr Simmons announced, clasping his hands together in delight.

Sheena and Phoebe appeared on stage, helping Gerald and Sid move props around to make way for the newly built altar and chairs for the wedding scene.

Helga sat along the front row in the audience section of the auditorium, looking like something out of a movie in her dazzling blue dress whilst reading an antique copy of _Hamlet_ with a look of pure concentration covering her face. Slowly, she lifted her eyes from the book and took a glance down at her costume, "Do we need to change into our wedding costume?" she enquired, placing the book back into her bag.

"Boy howdy, I'm not sure I wanna put that big suit of armour on just for practice." Sid whined.

Mr Simmons took a quick glance at his watch, "No, I don't think we have time for a costume change right now." he said, a slight frown on his face at the discovery of just how much time had passed us by today.

"Sheesh, thank god." Helga mumbled, as she climbed the stairs to the stage.

I followed quickly behind her, sitting just off-stage, in preparation for my later entry during the scene.

Sid and Helga took their places in front of the altar, with Gerald standing before him and Lila to the side with a bouquet of flowers.

"Tomorrow, we will have two lovely people as extras, who will stand as Guards behind Gerald. Oh, and we will use dummies as guests on the chairs." Mr Simmons explained, as Helga and Sid eyed the empty seats behind them, "Sid, you can begin."

Sid cleared his throat and turned to face Helga, _"Marian, the day has come, we will be wed. I have dreamt of this day."_

_Marian took a deep breath and forced a smile, "Let us begin." she replied._

_Sir Guy and Marian knelt together at the altar._

_"We gather here today to witness the marriage of Sir Guy of Gisbourne and Lady Marian of Loxley." the Sheriff began, as he pulled the wedding rings from his pocket, "If any person knows of just cause why these two people should not be joined in holy matrimony, let them speak now or forever hold their peace."_

_Genevieve shifted uncomfortably, "Marian." she said softly, "This cannot go ahead."_

_"Genevieve?" Marian asked, looking up toward her in shock._

_Genevieve extended her hand to Marian, pulling her up to stand, "Do not make this mistake." she urged._

_The Sheriff moved forward, with an irritated look on his face, "Genevieve, step back." he commanded impatiently._

_Guy slowly got to his feet, "What is the meaning of this?" he demanded._

_"Her heart belongs to another!" Genevieve insisted._

_Marian shook her head cautiously, "My heart is here." she insisted nervously._

_The Sheriff sighed in annoyance, and pushed Genevieve back with his forearm, "Step back." he once again commanded._

_Genevieve reluctantly stepped back and shook her head._

_"Shall we continue?" the Sheriff said angrily._

_"You live only once Marian." Genevieve said, her voice carrying a firmer tone._

_"WHAT is he doing here?" The Sheriff bellowed as Robin entered the wedding chapel._

_Marian turned, gasping as she saw Robin, "Robin!" she called out._

_"I told you to stay away from this church today." Guy scolded, as he approached Robin._

_"I suppose I have trouble following orders." Robin replied._

_"Robin!" Marian repeated, as she ran into his arms._

_Guy looked him up and down for a moment, before turning and motioning to the men standing guard, "Guards!"_

_Robin immediately responded, drawing his bow to shoot the first guard as Marian punched Guy in the jaw._

_The Sheriff took hold of Marian and placed his sword to her back as Robin shot down the second and final guard._

_"This ends here, Robin Hood." The Sheriff warned him, as Marian squirmed in his grasp._

_"This is between you and me Sherriff, leave Marian out of it!" Robin insisted._

_"Precious." The Sheriff said, raising his brow at Marian, "You care for her."_

_"I will not let you kill her." Robin said firmly._

_The Sheriff laughed, "You have no choice!"_

_Behind them, Genevieve drew a small knife from her dress and stabbed the Sheriff in the back, causing him to cry out in pain and fall to the ground._

_"Leave now, more guards will come!" Genevieve instructed them._

_"But, Genevieve, what will you say?" Marian asked in concern._

_"I will tell them rebels came for you, killed the Sherriff and my brother, and took you away... They'll never find you in the forest." Genevieve assured them kindly._

_Marian jumped into Robin's arms, "Let's get out of here," she said softly._

"That... was so very _special_!" Mr Simmons cried out from below the stage, his hands placed on his face in awe.

"Football Head, put me the heck down!" Helga growled in my arms, as I blushed, realising I'd held on a little too long.

"Next scene everybody." Mr Simmons announced joyfully, flipping over his script once again.

I moved to stand inside the tree house hideout, as the props for the scene were switched around from the wedding to the forest.

"We haven't practised the stage direction for your final kissing scene here, so I will guide you through as we go..." Mr Simmons said, rummaging through his bag to find his clipboard, "Okay, go for it."

I began my movements, hanging weapons up in the tree house area, making sure _not_ to glace over to Helga and register the look of bitter disappointment on her face that we would have to practice our final romance scene today.

_Marian entered the forest and slowly approached Robin's tree house._

_"Marian." Robin smiled, as he turned to face her._

_"Robin." Marian said nervously._

_Robin walked to meet Marian and confidently took her hands in his._

_"Will you marry me?" Robin asked._

_"What?" Marian responded, a look of confusion on her face._

_"They say that, when something feels right, you just... know." Robin began, as he looked Marian in the eyes. _Helga shuffled her feet, refusing to meet my gaze. _"I will protect and look after you, if you will protect and look after me."_

_Robin stepped back and dropped to one knee, still holding Marian's hands in his._

_"Marian, I love you, will you marry me?" Robin asked sincerely._

_Marian smiled slightly, "Robin, of all the men in the world, I think you're the only one who would propose to a woman after witnessing the death of the Sherrif-"_

_"Well, is that a yes?" Robin asked impatiently._

_"Will you let me finish?" Marian said, a smile still on her lips._

_Robin shifted nervously, "I'm sorry."_

_Marian laughed, "And the only one who would propose without a ring, after just aiding my escape from my own wedding." she finished._

_"Is that a no?" Robin enquired._

_"I will... I will live in the forest. I will ... fight by your side. I will marry you." Marian said._

_Robin grinned and rose to his feet, "Sounds like a plan."_

"Okay Helga, you need to jump into his arms." Mr Simmons instructed, with his eyes firmly fixed to the bright clipboard in his hands.

Helga hesitated for a moment, seemingly taking a breath before beginning, and reluctantly jumped into my arms. I caught her with ease, she was so light and feminine, so pretty, so amaz-

"Now Arnold, you will spin her around and kiss her and... Helga, when he spins you, you'll need to laugh happily." Mr Simmons instructed further.

Helga giggled, the most adorable little giggle, as I twirled her around in my arms on stage. I gulped, it was like a dream, Helga firmly held in my arms, giggling happily, her long dress gathered up at the sides. I never wanted to put her down.

"It's important that you spend a moment or two after your kiss looking into each other's eyes, I want to feel the very _special _chemistry!" Mr Simmons urged excitedly.

I shifted my gaze to meet Helga's blue eyes, she was biting her lip gently and her face seemed flushed but her eyes were bright. Helga shifted slightly in my arms, her eyes avoiding mine as she moved. I exhaled suddenly, not aware that I'd been holding my breath for so long.

"Okay, now you can put her back on the ground Arnold." Mr Simmons told me, "Then you will kiss her hand."

Helga seemed dazed as I placed her onto the ground and I felt her hand shake as I lifted it gently toward my face, feigning a kiss.

"Now, grab her waist and pull her close." Mr Simmons directed.

I felt my heart pound harder as my hands landed gently around her waist, resting on the curve of her hips. Helga shut her eyes dramatically, like she was scared to look as I pulled her toward me. I felt the warmth of her body close to mine, her eyes searched my face and her expression was unreadable.

"Oh, fantastic! Now, Arnold, you will kiss her shoulder and neck and then, Helga, you will run your hands over his face and down to his chest." Mr Simmons said joyfully, seemingly unaware of the magnitude of awkwardness he was creating.

Helga's breathing became apparently to me, it was rushed and heavy as I leant in toward her, faking kisses on her shoulder and neck. I bit my lip as I felt the touch of her hand on my face, her fingers spreading over my skin as she moved down toward my chest. I couldn't hear a thing besides the deep thumping of my heart, and I couldn't even remember the last time I'd taken a decent breath.

"Okay, say your next line Helga." Mr Simmons voice rang out and, thankfully, promoted me to take a gasp of air.

Helga gulped loudly, _"Take me inside." Marian said, _it came out a little rushed, a little raspy and I felt a shudder pass through my body.

_"Now?" Robin asked._

_"Now." Marian confirmed._

"Now, scoop her up bridal style..." Mr Simmons instructed, eliciting a few gossipy whispers from our cast mates.

Helga observed me warily as I moved closer, snaking one arm around her upper back and hooking the other beneath her legs. Helga's fingers lightly brushed against the skin of my forearm as her body slid to nestle beside my chest.

Mr Simmons clasped his hands together with a proud grin, "Wonderful, wonderful! Now, walk over to the bed area in the tree house, and remember on the night to kiss her as you walk! Once you lay her down on the bed, the curtains will drop."

Helga pursed her lips together as I carried her slowly toward the tree house. I would be kissing those lips on opening night, it was so soon, yet I wanted it _now._ Carefully, I knelt and lowered her onto the poorly painted 'bed' prop. Helga's eyes caught mine as I tenderly lifted my hands away from her, and I quickly reminded myself that there was an entire audience in front of us before I did anything crazy.

Applause from our classmates filled the air, breaking my gaze from Helga long enough to remind me that this was just _acting._

"It's wonderful! Wonderful!" Mr Simmons sniffled, "You two are terrific! So _special_!"

Helga shakily moved beneath me, her unsteady hand pushing me backward as she stood herself up. I locked eyes with her again for a fleeting moment before she fled down the stairs toward the dressing rooms.

"Uh, that's a wrap for today everybody." Phoebe announced, glancing anxiously down the corridor Helga had just disappeared into.

Mr Simmons, with his sniffling now under control, looked around the room to ensure everybody was paying full attention, "Tomorrow is the day, our opening night! I want you all to arrive here at 6 to begin set and costume preparation for the performance. The show begins at 7:30. Make sure you all get a good rest tonight and come back _super _excited for our very _special _production tomorrow night!"

Phoebe quickly scurried off down the hallway, as Sheena reminded everybody to ensure their costumes were stored safely and correctly in their rightful places, ready for opening night.

Gerald caught up with me as I made my way toward the dressing room corridor, "I gotta admit, you two look pretty perfect together." he said, giving me a supportive pat on the back.

I sighed, "Yeah, I think we do too."


	12. Phoebe Comes Knocking

**Princess of Thieves  
**Another school play, another lead role for Arnold and Helga. How will it turn out this time around?

_Disclaimer: I don't own Hey Arnold.  
The 'interpretation' and the basis for the 'script' I have used for the Robin Hood play is based very strongly on the Robin Hood TV Series from the BBC (circa 2006-2009). If you haven't ever watched it, you totally should. However, I would like to point out that I also do not own Robin Hood._

**FanArt: **midnight-sun-dancer on Deviantart has done some artwork for this story which is fantastic! You can check it out at the link below (minus spaces of course)

browse . deviantart/ # / d5oss2d

* * *

**March 27****th**** – Phoebe Comes Knocking**

"Arnold, one of your little friends is here t-" Grandpa's voice hollered up the stairs, interrupted by the sound of my bedroom door crashing open.

I sprang from my bed quickly to see Phoebe storm toward me, shooting me a look of seething anger.

"I could kill you!" Phoebe shouted, backing me up against my bed.

I gulped, I had _never _heard Phoebe raise her voice, "What do you mean?" I asked, my voice strained.

"You!" Phoebe screeched, pointing her finger at my chest, "You made my best friend upset!"

My eyes grew wide, "I made Helga upset?" I asked nervously.

Phoebe reached for the script behind me on the bed and waved it angrily in my face, "Of course you made her upset, you idiot!" she scolded, throwing the script at the wall.

"I didn't mean ... I don't mean to... I-I... I'm n-" I stuttered.

Phoebe lowered her hand and, with a menacing glare, stepped backward to free me from the corner she'd backed me into, "What the heck happened at the auditorium." she enquired icily.

I breathed heavily as the memories of my visit to the auditorium two hours prior to Phoebe's entry, played once again in my mind...

_Absent mindedly, I pushed open the auditorium doors, my mind riddled with nervous thoughts about opening night, and the chance to kiss Helga... even if it was just acting._

_I sighed as my gaze wandered from the set to the dressing room corridors and back again, I couldn't even fathom why I was standing in the auditorium right now. I had taken a walk, to calm my nerves, and somehow my feet had taken me here._

_Walking toward the dressing room corridor I glanced at my watch, it was 3 o'clock, three hours before everybody would begin to arrive._

_I stopped suddenly as my eyes focussed on a beam of unexpected light, coming from Helga's dressing room, accompanied by faint humming sounds._

_Without thinking I slowly pushed her dressing room door open, "What are you doing here so early?" I asked as I stepped inside._

_Helga jumped, spinning around to face me with wide eyes, as I spoke. I watched her carefully as she began to speak, her long blonde hair dropping to her waist in curls and her elegant costume setting off the blue in her eyes._

_"I just wanted to be prepared." Helga explained as she finished coating her lips in sparkling gloss, putting the tube down on the bench beside her, "I needed to practice changing in and out of these dresses."_

_Noticing the calm in her tone, and the absence of a scowl on her face, I breathed deeply and decided to enquire about something, "Why don't we talk much?"_

_Helga's eyes darted around the room "Why do you care?" she asked, a frown on her face._

_"It would be nice if... if we could at least try to be friends." I suggested._

_Helga's frown intensified, "Yeah right Football Head!" she shot back._

_I winced, shuffling forward a little, "Uh, how is your writing going?" I asked, hoping a change of subject would lighten the mood._

_Helga stared at me for a moment, "How do you know I write?" she asked slowly._

_"I heard about the poems you had published..." I responded nervously._

_Helga's eyes grew wide, her fists clenching at her sides, "Which ones?" she demanded._

_"One was called... The Locket and another was called Waiting..." I told her honestly, watching her reaction carefully._

_Helga's expression relaxed slightly, "So, you've never happened to read one called The Rain?"_

_"No, should I?" I asked, slightly confused._

_Helga shook her head fiercely "No! Never read it! And, forget I mentioned it!" she insisted._

_I blinked, taking in the fearful expression on her face, "What's it about?"_

_"Listen up bucko, I told you to forget about it, okay?" Helga snarled, crossing her arms and glaring._

_I nodded slowly in agreement, as Helga continued to speak, "And what the heck are __you__ doing here so early, Football Head?"_

_"I was just a... little nervous about opening night so I just... came by..." I revealed._

_Helga scoffed, "What are you so nervous about Arnoldo, we know our lines perfectly."_

_I laughed uneasily, "Yeah, I guess I'm freaking out for nothing."_

_Helga pursed her lips together, looking intently at me for a moment before averting her gaze down to the corset of her dress. Wrapping the ribbons through her fingers she sighed, muttering something about stupid medieval clothes._

_"Um, are you okay?" I asked, watching her tug at the ribbons._

_"Yeah." Helga muttered, "Just these stupid ribbons. They're so difficult to get right."_

_"But Phoebe will help you out on the night, right?" I said, offering her a smile._

_"Yeah, but I don't want to be needy of her time... she's assistant director, she's busy." Helga said, angrily sliding her fingers through a twisted section of ribbon._

_"I could always help you out... if... if you needed." I offered, my voice shaking._

_Helga's face dropped, her expression blank, "Arnold, to help me get dressed you would have to see me naked." she firmly informed me._

_I felt my breath hitch in my throat, my eyes flying wide open and a tingling blush come to my cheeks, "Oh, I'm so sorry!" I apologised, my hands flying to my mouth._

_Helga shrugged, "Not like I care, but, I'm sure that's not an experience you'd like to have."_

_I averted my gaze, attempting to resume a normal breathing pattern, "I, um, no... I-... Uh, you look beautiful in your costume." I blurted._

_Helga raised an eyebrow at me, "Beautiful? Me?" she asked softly._

_"Yeah, I mean... you always are, but, it's just... the costume just, makes it more obvious." I gulped nervously as she took in my words._

_Helga shifted uncomfortably, "Uh, thanks." she muttered, her shuffling feet tripping over the chair beside her as she attempted to turn back to face the mirror._

_Lurching forward, her body collided into mine as I reached to catch her, sending us crashing into the couch behind us. Helga's eyes met mine, my heart thumping rapidly in my chest, I ran my eyes over her glossy lips as I felt Helga's body shiver against mine._

_I felt her breath against my skin as our lips touched, faintly brushing against each other, neither of us game to move. Slowly, I pushed forward, connecting our lips properly, causing Helga to twitch a little beneath me. I shut my eyes hard as I felt Helga slowly returning the kiss, her lips responding and her tongue lightly brushing against mine._

_Helga pulled back quickly, "W-what... What was that?" she breathed._

_"Um, I don't know." I whispered, my hands shaking against the fabric of the arm rest._

_Helga stood, brushing the creases from her dress as she watched me lift myself from the couch to stand before her._

_"What was that?" Helga repeated, this time her tone strong and demanding._

_I wanted to tell her I loved her, more than anything, but fear washed over me at that exact moment. She didn't feel the same in return, I knew that, so it would only serve to make things painfully awkward during the performance tonight. I didn't exactly have a good excuse, so the diluted truth would have to do, "I, uh, well, I... I... You look pretty."_

_Helga froze momentarily, "Is that it? That I happen to look nice in this artificial get-up?" she asked, her tone icy, her fingers clenched at her sides._

_"Uh, yes.. No?" I stuttered, she seemed angry, but then again, she was always angry, "I-I.. um..."_

_Helga gathered the lengths of her dress in her hands, "I have to go." she said, her voice wavering, as she disappeared down the corridor._

_After the shock wore off, I searched the corridors, the auditorium and backstage but I couldn't find her anywhere. Filled with confusion and regret, I gave up and went home._

"I kissed her." I admitted to Phoebe, "and I shouldn't have."

Phoebe clenched her fists, "What! Why not? You shouldn't have? What, is she not good enough for you? No, she's _too _good for you! So, tell me, WHY should you NOT have kissed my best friend?" she bellowed.

"Phoebe, calm down." I urged, "I know Helga doesn't like me, and she has every right to be annoyed at me for what I did."

Phoebe dropped her arms, looking at me with confusion, "You think Helga left because she was annoyed at you for kissing her?"

"I'm sorry, I will apologise I promise, it's just th-" I began.

Phoebe's arms waved frantically, "You idiot! She's not upset that you kissed her!"

I raised an eyebrow at her, "She's not?"

Phoebe crossed her arms, "I'm certain the reason she's upset has a lot to do with your _motive _for doing so." she said irritably, "You cannot simply take advantage of my best friend because she happens to look pretty!"

"Woah!" I said defensively, "I never tried to take advantage of her."

Phoebe gritted her teeth, letting out a pained sigh, "You just don't get it do you?"

"What don't I get?" I asked.

Phoebe's face softened slightly, a look of concern in her eyes, "Arnold, you do realise that Helga is in love with you, right?"

I struggled to regain my breath, it felt like all the air in the room had been sucked out, "SHE WHAT?" I managed to splutter between gasps.

Phoebe frowned, "I honestly cannot believe you're so... so... dense!" she said in exasperation, "So, let's lay a few ground rules here Arnold. First off, never tell Helga that I told you. Second, never play with her feelings again, you got me? Third, you need to g-"

"Helga loves me?" I breathed, standing motionless.

Phoebe glared, "Yes, that's what I just said! Now, don't you d-"

Phoebe stopped abruptly as I took her by the arms and pulled her into a vice-grip hug, "Where is she?" I asked, still crushing Phoebe in my arms.

Phoebe looked up at me, "I don't think I should reveal that information."

"I need to speak to her!" I urged, stepping backward and releasing her from my hold.

Phoebe watched me cautiously, "What are you going to say to her?"

"That I love her too." I said, my heart beating faster as I said the words out loud.

Phoebe stopped, froze for a moment, before letting out a shrill scream of excitement. Clasping her hand to her mouth, she jumped on the spot, muffling the '_oh oh oh eeee aaahhh' _squeals escaping from her lips.

"Auditorium!" Phoebe shrieked, "Helga! Auditorium! Go, go quick!"

Dashing toward the door and swinging it open, I paused and looked back toward Phoebe, "Hey, Phoebe, how do you feel about Gerald?"

Phoebe stopped jumping, a slight blush forming on her cheeks, "Oh... I like him, quite a lot." she admitted nervously.

"You should tell him." I urged, shooting her a smile, "He's head over heels... He just thinks he's not smart enough for you."

Without waiting for her reaction, I flew down the staircase and out of the Boarding House doors, toward the school auditorium.


	13. Loved You Since I Met You

**Princess of Thieves**

Another school play, another lead role for Arnold and Helga. How will it turn out this time around?

_Disclaimer: I don't own Hey Arnold.  
The 'interpretation' and the basis for the 'script' I have used for the Robin Hood play is based very strongly on the Robin Hood TV Series from the BBC (circa 2006-2009). If you haven't ever watched it, you totally should. However, I would like to point out that I also do not own Robin Hood._

**FanArt: **midnight-sun-dancer on Deviantart has done some artwork for this story which is fantastic! You can check it out at the link below (minus spaces of course)

browse . deviantart/ # / d5oss2d

* * *

**March 27****th**** – Loved You Since I Met You**

Walking from the Boarding House to Hillwood High School takes a good twenty minutes, a steady jog may get you there in fifteen but I swear, as I flew through the streets unaware of my heavy breathing and jelly legs, I made it in less than five. Throwing the auditorium doors open, I rushed toward the dressing rooms.

Helga gasped as I stumbled my way into her dressing room, nervously biting her lip as I fully registered the sight before me. Helga stood with her back to me, before the large vanity mirror, threading the delicate ribbons on her intricate corset free, releasing its tight grasp on her waist and thus letting the fabric of her dress slowly fall from her creamy shoulders, leaving her chest exposed on the right hand side.

Helga turned around and clutched at the silk of her dress, pulling it up to re-cover her chest and shoulder, staring at me with wide eyes.

I gulped, "Helga, I'm so sorry... I'm... Seriously, I am so-"

Helga remained frozen, her hand still gripping tightly, holding the material in place, "Why are you here?" she whispered.

I inhaled the deepest breath of air I could possibly manage, "Helga, I'm not good with words or expressing things but I really need to tell you this and I hope it explains a whole lot of stuff. One of my biggest regrets in life is not following my instincts when we were standing on the top of the FTI Building."

Helga's eyes grew wide and she looked toward me with fear and uncertainty.

"Gosh, um, that didn't sound right. I meant, I should have kissed you back. I-It took me until sixth grade to realise how important to me you are, like, maybe I'd been denying it all along."

Helga's eyes flickered toward the ground.

"I... Helga, I'm in love with you." I finished, hoping I had made my point, albeit badly.

Helga shifted slightly, shaking her head a little, her eyes wide with disbelief.

I took another shaky breath, "Helga you're amazing, you're perfect and I know I said something really stupid a few hours ago but, I want you to know, you're beautiful no matter what you wear or how your hair looks."

Helga remained silent, letting herself fall backward into the tall make-up chair and turning herself to face the mirror once more.

"Helga" I said softly, walking up behind her, "I love you, and if I have to, I will spend forever proving that to you."

Helga gaze remained focussed intently on the reflection in the mirror ahead of her, "Just how do you plan to prove it?" she mumbled softly.

"By doing whatever you want me to do, absolutely anything." I promised, lightly resting my hand on her shoulder.

Helga tilted her head slightly, "W-Will you kiss me?" she stuttered nervously.

Placing my trembling hand gently underneath her chin, I lifted her lips to meet mine and I heard her whimper softly. I moved my tongue to gently trace her lips, causing a visible shiver to run through Helga's body. Without breaking the kiss, I spun her chair to face me, taking her hand and lifting her to her feet. Finally, I felt the tingle of Helga's tongue brushing against mine.

Helga pulled back from the kiss, breathing heavily and looking down toward our joined hands with wide eyes.

Gently, I slid my arm around her hip, pulling her close, her thin frame resting perfectly against my body. Our breaths mingled as our lips brushed lightly, our eyes searching each other nervously before Helga lifted her head slightly, pushing her lips back onto mine. Helga's hand moved to my chest, slowly moving up and along my shoulder as I deepened the kiss.

Helga's head dropped backward as I moved my lips from hers to kiss along her neck, down to her collarbone, the soft moan escaping her made my knees go weak. I stopped cold as Helga relaxed her grip, causing her dress to fall from her shoulder again. Tentatively, I reached for the material, moving it to cover her again until I felt her soft hand take my wrist in protest.

Heart pounding, I focussed my eyes to hers, gulping as I attempted to understand her actions. Helga leaned forward, her cheek brushing mine as she whispered in my ear, breath shaking, "You promised to give me anything I wanted."

I felt my stomach drop; an intense feeling of warmth engulfed my body as I contemplated the meaning of her words. I closed my eyes as I took in my surroundings, the girl of my dreams was half-topless in my arms, asking me to give her what she wanted. Biting my lip, I opened my mouth to ask her exactly what it was she _did _want, but her fingers found my lips, interrupting my thoughts.

"Shhh.." Helga hummed into my ear.

Helga released her grip on my wrist, allowing the fabric of her dress to drop from her shoulders again. Her eyes were sparkling, a look of pleading and honesty flashed through the brilliant blue, a look I swore I'd never seen from her before.

Helga moved her legs around my waist, my hands finding her chest and tracing along her legs as she gripped tight at the skin of my lower back before her back found the wall and her hips pushed into mine.

"Helga?" I whispered breathlessly, my eyes still focussed on hers as she had made quick work of undoing my belt. Helga simply nodded in response, tenderly placing her lips back to mine as her body moved against mine.

Slowly, I lost touch with reality as I listened to the sounds that escaped Helga's mouth, felt the ecstasy of her soft skin beneath my hands and the pleasure of making love to the most amazing, beautiful girl I'd ever known.

Some time later, Helga's body rested lazily in my arms, a dazed look of pleasure in her eyes as I caught my breath in the aftermath. I stumbled backward, her legs still around my waist, as I sunk backward into the nearby couch, cradling her gently in my arms. Helga's long puffy dress engulfed our lower bodies as it sprawled out over the couch and down to the ground. I watched Helga carefully as her chest heaved in and out, rapidly attempting to catch her breath as her head nestled into the crook of my neck, her eyelids heavy.

Helga's warm breath tingled against my skin, her dishevelled hair fallen from her loose bun, curls sprawling down her back and some sticking messily to her forehead. I smiled at the beauty of the girl in my lap, placing kisses on her cheek and forehead.

"I love you Helga." I whispered blissfully into her ear.

Helga's head shifted against my neck, "Uhummm.." she hummed in response, followed by a string of incoherent words as she spoke with her lips against my skin.

"Does that mean you love me too?" I asked playfully, my voice soft.

Helga's lips moved to a smile against my skin, nodding her head eagerly in confirmation as I wrapped my arms around her, hugging her tightly against my chest.

Dreamily, I shut my eyes and lost track of time as I listened to the soft sounds of Helga's breathing. Minutes later Helga's shifted her head slightly, breaking me from my daydreams as she mumbled softly, "Time? What's the time?"

Blearily I wandered my eyes over toward the clock on the wall, reading a time of 5:30pm.

"It's five thirty, people will be arriving soon." I informed her regrettably.

"Yes." Helga murmured softly against my skin, letting out a small sigh, "Yes, they will."

* * *

**NOTE: **I decided to keep it slightly vague so as to keep this story in the 'T' rated section (Which I hope I have achieved?) but I _have _posted the full 'M' rated version separately for those interested in reading – you can find it here www . fanfictionnet / s / 8851652 / 1 /


	14. Robin Hood and Maid Marian

**Princess of Thieves**

Another school play, another lead role for Arnold and Helga. How will it turn out this time around?

_Disclaimer: I don't own Hey Arnold.  
The 'interpretation' and the basis for the 'script' I have used for the Robin Hood play is based very strongly on the Robin Hood TV Series from the BBC (circa 2006-2009). If you haven't ever watched it, you totally should. However, I would like to point out that I also do not own Robin Hood._

**FanArt: **midnight-sun-dancer on Deviantart has done some artwork for this story which is fantastic! You can check it out at the link below (minus spaces of course)

browse . deviantart/ # / d5oss2d

* * *

**March 27th – Robin Hood and Maid Marian**

_Robin lifted his head from his current activity, turning toward Marian who had approached his home in the forest, laying firewood by the doorway._

_ "Marian." Robin smiled, as he turned to face her._

_"Robin." Marian said nervously._

_Robin walked to meet Marian and confidently took her hands in his._

_"Will you marry me?" Robin asked._

_"What?" Marian responded, a look of confusion on her face._

_"They say that, when something feels right, you just... know." Robin began, as he looked Marian in the eyes. "I will protect and look after you, if you will protect and look after me."_

_Robin stepped back and dropped to one knee, still holding Marian's hands in his._

_"Marian, I love you, will you marry me?" Robin asked sincerely._

_Marian smiled slightly, "Robin, of all the men in the world, I think you're the only one who would propose to a woman after witnessing the death of the Sherrif-"_

_"Well, is that a yes?" Robin asked impatiently._

_"Will you let me finish?" Marian said, a smile still on her lips._

_Robin shifted nervously, "I'm sorry."_

_Marian laughed, "And the only one who would propose without a ring, after just aiding my escape from my own wedding." she finished._

_"Is that a no?" Robin enquired._

_"I will... I will live in the forest. I will ... fight by your side. I will marry you." Marian said._

_Robin grinned and rose to his feet, "Sounds like a plan."_

Helga leapt effortlessly into my arms, giggling happily as I spun her around and kissed her for what felt like the millionth time that day, something I swore I could never truly get tired of doing.

_Robin placed Marian gently back to the ground, gently kissing her hand whilst placing his arm around her waist and pulling her close._

Soft involuntary gasps escaped Helga's lips as I placed kisses down her neck and across her shoulder, while her hands caressed my cheek and down to my chest.

_"Take me inside." Marian instructed him._

_"Now?" Robin asked._

_"Now." She confirmed._

Scooping my leading lady into my arms, I carried her bridal style, watching the stage lights dance in her blue eyes as I moved toward the tree house prop. She smiled contently at me as I placed her down onto the bed with a kiss, signalling the curtains to drop.

Dramatically, the heavy red fabric of the curtains fell to the floor before us, plunging the stage into darkness as the sounds of applause began to erupt from the audience.

Eyes adjusting to the light, I looked down at the blonde beauty in my arms, "I love you." I whispered softly, leaning over to meet her lips again. Helga sighed as we melted into the soft loving kiss, her hands winding themselves around my neck.

Helga beamed at me, her face glowing as her body shook like she was about to pass out, "I love you too." she whispered timidly, stroking her hands through my hair.

"Curtains!" Phoebe's voice sounded from backstage, causing a flourish of mumbles and movement as everybody prepared for the lifting of the curtains.

Surrounded yet again by the auditorium lights as the curtain slowly raised, our cast mates poured onto the stage to bow and receive their congratulations from our audience. Nobody was quite expecting the sight that met our eyes, the loud clapping and cheering, a standing ovation from the people who had watched our performance.

Gerald shimmied his way over, moving into line beside me as our cast took hands and raised them triumphantly. "What was with that?" Gerald's voice whispered in my ear as we looked out over the audience, "That extra kiss after the curtains dropped?" he specified.

"I'll explain later." I whispered back, as we dropped into a bow, "Oh, and you should ask Phoebe on a date."

Gerald glanced over the crowd for a moment, smiling graciously, before turning back toward me, "Why?" he whispered.

"Because I can guarantee she will say yes." I responded, keeping my voice as low as possible.

"Guaranteed?" Gerald asked, raising his eyebrow at me.

I nodded my head definitively, causing Gerald to break into a joyful smile, as we looked back over the audience, taking one last bow with the rest of our cast mates.

Mr Simmons, with misty eyes, made the final gesture to the stage hands, allowing the curtain to lower for the last time, "You were all so very _special_." he gushed, as everybody headed toward their dressing rooms.

Gerald wasted no time in making his way over to Phoebe, who had been standing by the back steps of the stage, clutching her all important clipboard protectively. Gerald grinned back at me appreciatively and I nodded in support.

Phoebe tapped her pen against the thick notepad, deep in thought, as Gerald approached her. Sensing someone nearby, the small Japanese-American girl glanced up from her clipboard.

"Hi Phoebe." Gerald said nervously, watching as she carefully placed the clipboard down beside her.

"Oh, hello Gerald." she greeted him kindly with a little giggle.

"I, uh, was wondering..." Gerald began, averting his gaze to the floor, "if you were doing anything... after this? You know, tonight?

Phoebe contemplated his question, glancing at the notes on her clipboard for a brief moment, "I believe I do not have any plans for tonight." she concluded.

Gerald smiled, "Well, maybe you'd like to do something. We could catch a late movie." he suggested.

"I would love to." Phoebe grinned, nervously twiddling the pen that was still in her hands.

"Oh, um, wow, that's great!" Gerald said, "I wasn't sure you'd even agree... I mean, Arnold told me I should ask you out but... I'm not really all that smart you know.."

Phoebe frowned, "Of course you're smart Gerald, I know for a fact you are very knowledgeable... and well, I must say, I myself am not the cheerleader type or anything..."

"I don't care about cheerleaders!" Gerald announced, shaking his head at her, "I just want you... I mean, oh, I'm sorry that was really forward.. I-"

Phoebe cocked her head to the side, seemingly stunned by his sudden rambling, before smiling slightly and effectively ending his train of useless words as she stood on tiptoes and reached up to kiss him.

Assured my best friend was in good hands, and had stopped making a fool of himself, I made my way from the stage down into the corridor toward dressing room number two. Lightly tapping against the wooden frame, I heard the shuffling of an elaborate wedding dress coming from inside.

"Hey Pheebs" Helga's voice sounded as I gently opened the door, taking a step inside, "Took you long enough, criminy, I'm totally struggling with this ribbon!" she groaned.

"Uh, no Helga, it's me." I informed her, "Phoebe is busy."

Helga stalled for a moment, as though I had startled her, before lifting her fingers from the ribbons and slowly turning to face me, "Busy? With what?" she asked.

"Busy with Gerald." I clarified, moving closer toward her.

"Oh!" She responded, a smile coming to her face, "You mean, like... her and tall hair boy are..."

"Making out." I confirmed.

Helga squealed, in an adorable girly kind of way that took me by surprise, for just a moment before she paused and frowned slightly, "I'm going out there right now!" she suddenly declared, "I need to find out what his intentions are! I need to make it clear that if he ever messes with her, I'll rupture his internal organs!"

Playfully, I rolled my eyes, "Trust me Helga, he knows." I assured her, inwardly smiling at her protective behaviour.

Helga considered my statement for a moment, "...Okay." she conceded, concentrating her eyes on mine, "So, what brings you to my dressing room, Football Head?"

Placing my hands on her hips, I moved toward the couch, sinking into the soft cushions and brining her down with me. "I realised I forgot to ask you an important question..." I informed her, lifting her effortlessly onto my lap.

Helga bit her lip adorably, her blue eyes looking down at me nervously, "What might that be?" she enquired cautiously.

"Helga Pataki" I began, stroking my fingers over the soft skin of her hand, "Will you be my girlfriend?"

Helga's eyes went wide, "Oh.. Yes!" she breathed, wrapping her arms tightly around me and shifting her body in my lap to push her lips to mine.

"You look nice in that wedding dress you know." I half-mumbled between the sweet tentative kisses I was currently enjoying.

Helga pulled away for a moment to smile at me, before initiating an intense assault on my lips that left me absolutely breathless by the time her dressing room door flew open.

"Oh my!" Phoebe squealed as she registered our presence on the couch, "I'm so sorry!"

Helga hesitated for a moment, before prying herself from our embrace and rushing to engulf her best friend in her arms. "I'm so happy for you!" Helga shrieked, looking down at Phoebe with wide eyes.

Phoebe shook her head a little, "Me?!" she cried out in protest, pointing determinedly at Helga, "What about YOU?"

Smiling, I lifted myself from the couch and moved past them toward the doorway, "I think this is my cue to leave." I announced as I exited, shutting the door firmly behind me as the sounds of yelling, jumping and squealing emitted from the room.

Harold and Curly stood a short distance away in the corridor, deep in discussion, with Curly waving his arms dramatically. Harold caught sight of me as I wandered my way toward them, "Hey Arnold!" he called out.

"Hey Harold, hey Curly." I greeted them.

"You did a great job!" Harold said, patting my shoulder appreciatively.

Curly nodded enthusiastically, "People in the audience were _raving_ about you and Helga!" he revealed, "You two were perfect!"

Harold smirked, "Yeah, and don't think we didn't notice the extra kiss after the curtain!"

"Yeah, well..." I offered lamely, a distinct blush rising to my face.

Harold groaned, "Oh, come on man, spill the beans! Are you two together?"

Unable to stop myself from grinning like an idiot, I sighed happily, "Yeah."

"About time!" Curly wailed, offering me an encouraging punch to the shoulder.

Harold smiled, "Yeah, about time." he echoed.

"What do you mean, 'about time'?" I asked quizzically.

Harold pursed his lips a little, a thoughtful look coming to his face, "Well, you and Helga are like... ying and yang..."

Curly tapped his fingers against his chin, "You have this thing... this vibe goin' on... a whole lot of-"

"Sexual tension!" Gerald's voice proclaimed loudly from behind me, causing Harold and Curly to chuckle and nod.

"Oh yeah" Curly confirmed, "A lot of that!"

Frowning, I looked between the three of them, "Well, _I_ never noticed..." I admitted.

Gerald laughed as he slung his arm around my shoulders, "You never do man, you never do."

Rolling my eyes, I sighed to myself, I guess that was why Helga was always telling me I was dense...

* * *

**Few notes/replies to my reviewers :)**

Adrianne Hershae: I _am_ an Aussie ;) hehe

Nep2uune: Course he didn't expect it - the boy is oblivious! I am of the opinion that if it ever got to the stage where they were both older and both kept their feelings hidden that when they finally confessed, it would get pretty heated pretty quick - hence why it 'escalated so quickly' but that's just my opinion so.. eh. Rest assured, Helga is not pregnant, there was an unmentioned condom or she's on birth control or something like that (they're both way too smart to risk that kinda thing) I just didn't actively _mention _those things in the story as I felt it detracted from the mood. :)

Evatarida: Nup, no title change, if you are following me as an author you may have received two notifications as there _are_ two versions of this scene - one that's part of this story, and then an 'uncensored' version that I've posted separately. Both of them start off identically though.

Everyone who's complimented the story & asked for more: You are wonderful, thank you for your reviews & thanks for reading! :)


	15. Touchdown

**Princess of Thieves**

Another school play, another lead role for Arnold and Helga. How will it turn out this time around?

_Disclaimer: I don't own Hey Arnold.  
The 'interpretation' and the basis for the 'script' I have used for the Robin Hood play is based very strongly on the Robin Hood TV Series from the BBC (circa 2006-2009). If you haven't ever watched it, you totally should. However, I would like to point out that I also do not own Robin Hood._

**FanArt: **midnight-sun-dancer on Deviantart has done some artwork for this story which is fantastic! You can check it out at the link below (minus spaces of course)

browse . deviantart/ # / d5oss2d

* * *

**April 2****nd**** – Touchdown**

Harold was blocking the Striker's best player from nearing me, something I was infinitely grateful for at that particular moment as I scanned the field again. Gerald was uncharacteristically beaten by his opponent, who had him covered like a glove – much like the rest of my teammates who were in no position to take a pass.

Hurtling toward me from the opposite corner of the field was a small, but persistent, offensive linesman with a determined gleam in his eyes. Quickly scanning the field again, I came up with the same conclusion as last time, I had no options and we needed a touchdown. Despite our current narrow lead, there was still time enough on the clock for the Seattle Striker's to score and take the victory.

Noticing that the offensive player was making quick ground on me, I went with my instincts, dodging his final leap toward me and making a run for it. Harold managed to drag his player to ground, allowing me to jump them as I passed by before weaving through the outstretched hands and lunging bodies of the remaining field of Striker's players. Gerald watched me with intense anticipation as I neared my destination, blocked only by one final defensive opposition player.

Tall and stocky, he watched me with eagle-eyes as I approached, quickly darting to the side as he charged in my direction. Narrowly missing contact with his extended arms, I rolled with a thud into the end zone.

"Touchdown!" The referee announced loudly, signalling the addition of six points to the scoreboard.

Gerald immediately descended upon me; placing his hand against mine to complete our childhood handshake before Harold lumbered over, pulling me into a bone-crushing hug. Glancing over at the benches, I saw Greg, our best kicker gearing up to take the field.

"Looks like it's time for me to hit the bench." I said, turning back to face Gerald and Harold, who nodded and scuttled to their positions for the field goal attempt.

Greg offered me a high five, grinning as he passed me by and ran out onto the field, practicing his motion as he went. Exhausted from the long game, coupled with my impromptu sprint to the end zone, I sunk into the bench and appreciated having a moment to rest.

Helga's eyes met mine from the stands, her focus lifting from her pink notebook for a fleeting moment, long enough to smile warmly at me before quickly returning pen to paper. I could still hardly believe that somebody so amazing, so deep and passionate, could possibly be so interested in _me_. Lost in thought, my mind barely registered the cheers of the crowd as Greg completed a successful kick, while I contemplated wether the first week of other people's relationships were ever even half as good as my past week with Helga. I got to hold the most charismatic and fiery girl I'd ever known in my arms, while she sighed and snuggled and showed me that secret loving nature I _knew _she'd always possessed. Spending my night kissing and embracing Helga, _my _Helga, the beautiful girl with the long blonde hair and the stunning blue eyes, while scary movies played unwatched on the television screen. She'd even, albeit reluctantly, allowed me to read that poem _The Rain_, it was about the day we met in pre-school and she'd cowered nervously in the corner until I'd finished reading and eventually convinced her there was no reason to be embarrassed. I loved her poems, I loved her kisses, more than loved them if that was possible, I loved the way she giggled at me, the way she looked at me like I was the only thing that mattered, the way she smiled when I said her name, the way she _still _told me 'move it Football Head', the way she-

Almighty squealing noises broke my concentration, as the entire cheerleading squad burst into celebration moments before the shrill sound of the final siren. Looking up at the scoreboard, I noted that the Striker's never managed another touchdown, not that it would have mattered much anyway – we had won.

Moments later I was swamped by team mates, Gerald and Harold by my side, receiving high fives, pats on the back and endless praise for cementing our win. Unfortunately, as our team mates began to disperse, travelling to greet others in the crowd or head to the locker rooms, we found ourselves surrounded by not just _our _cheerleading squad, but the Striker's squad too.

"I've always _loved _chocolate." One girl purred into Gerald's ear, as he glanced over toward me for support.

Hopelessly, I searched for Rhonda's presence, hoping she would be able to pry her friends and fellow cheerleaders away, but, she was preoccupied smothering Curly with kisses on the sidelines.

"That, was so hot." A Striker's cheerleader informed me, "You know, how you got that touchdown."

"Are you busy tonight?" Another piped up.

"Yeah." A shorter girl, one I recognised as a friend of Rhonda's, said, "Busy, with me!"

Gerald shook his head in disbelief, "Hey, will you all back off!" he said, crossing his arms defensively.

Beside him, Harold chuckled a little, "No worries, they will soon." he said confidently.

Several cheerleaders turned slowly at that moment, hushed whispers and slight nudges shared between the girls as the group glanced at one another, fear evident in their eyes. "Hi... Helga" one brave cheerleader whispered, before the entire group scattered quickly, ensuring to steer as far clear of her as possible as they exited the field.

Helga smirked, raising her eyebrow at the large group of fleeing girls, "Sheesh, I didn't even say anything..."

"Yeah, well I wouldn't have taken any chances either." Gerald quipped, waving his hand casually at us as he headed off across the field to meet Phoebe in the bleachers. Harold laughed at the comment, quickly jogging off to join Gerald.

Helga smiled as I took her in my arms, lifting her off the ground and spinning her around before placing a kiss on her lips.

"Pretty impressive stuff out there Arnold." Helga said as I placed her back on the ground.

Frowning, I looked sceptically at her, "My real name and a compliment? Are you feeling okay?" I enquired with a laugh.

Helga playfully hit my arm, "Shut up Football Head." she huffed defensively.

"There's the real Helga." I smiled, breathing an exaggerated sigh of relief, "I was getting worried you loved me or something."

Helga's eyes narrowed at me, before she snuggled against my chest, "Then worry away, Hair Boy."

Wrapping my arms around her waist, I held her close, playing with the lengths hair that fell down her back, "So, what are you planning on doing tonight?" I asked distractedly, winding a long blonde strand around my finger.

Helga pretended to ponder my question for a moment, a cheeky glint in her eyes, "You." she giggled.

Practically choking on my own tongue, I coughed and spluttered as Helga took my hand and whispered calmly into my ear, "You have so many years of unanswered fantasies to make up for."

"Has anyone ever told you, you're amazing?" I breathed heavily, attempting to regain my composure.

Helga grinned, "Only you." she responded, pulling her phone from her bag to check the time, "Your room, ten minutes, I'll be waiting." she announced, drawing me in for a heated kiss before hurrying off across the field.

Wasting no time, I grabbed collected my things from the sidelines, moving quickly toward the locker room to pick up my bags.

"Hey Arnold!" Gerald called after me, his arm resting around Phoebe's waist as she leant her head against his chest, "Some of us are going out for pizza aft-"

"Sorry Gerald." I shook my head, "I can't... busy!"

"Mmmm, mmm, mmm, that girl sure is frisky." Gerald commented as I continued my descent into the locker room.

Phoebe giggled beside him, "She's just... passionate." she reasoned.

* * *

**NOTE: **There will be one last chapter, an Epilogue, which will be set 10 years into the future. It should be up very soon.


	16. Epilogue

**10 Years Later - Epilogue**

Meandering slowly up the front steps of the Boarding House, I briefly considered whether I had taken on more than I could handle with my latest work assignment. Certainly, I was humbled by the praise and success I had attained for my extensive work and research on the elusive Green Eyed People, but, being the 'go-to-guy' for ancient tribes and civilisations was particularly exhausting. Most recently, my efforts to source valuable information on the almost transparent Bhaka tribe of Africa, had amounted to very little.

Attempting to clear my thoughts from the frustrations of work, I reached for the door handle, eager to race to my familiar childhood bedroom and pump classic Jazz tunes from the stereo, when I noticed the door was already opening.

Helga stood there in the hallway having opened the door before my very eyes and was currently staring down at me with ferocious intensity.

"Uh... Hello?" I offered, raising my eyebrow at her and tentatively stepping forward to enter the house.

"Georgia Kingsley." Helga practically yelled, still staring at me, no sign of her blinking anytime soon.

Racking my brain for a moment, I replied, "The author?"

"Yes!" Helga sighed in exasperation, "The author!"

Nodding, I headed to the kitchen, placing my briefcase down onto the table and removing my uncomfortable suit jacket. Helga followed closely behind me, placing her hands on her hips and watching, waiting for my response.

"When they said you'd go a little crazy after a few months, I didn't take them too seriously... I think I should have." I mused, carefully eyeing the insane young woman leaning by the doorway.

Helga scoffed, "This has nothing to do with that, it had to do with other things!" she protested.

"Now you're talking in riddles." I pointed out, grabbing a cold Yahoo Soda from the fridge and settling myself down at the kitchen table.

"I'll talk however I want, Football Head" Helga grumbled, shuffling across the floor and sitting in the seat next to mine.

"So... Georgia Kingsley, the author..." I reminded her gently.

Helga's eyes flew open, that look of crazed madness flashing through the brilliant blue, "Yes! They want me to write a sequel! ME!" she squealed, standing up so fast the chair she had been sitting on rocketed backwards into the kitchen cupboards.

"Uh..." I began, unsure of how to break the news to her that I had _no clue _what she meant, but thankfully she continued to talk.

"Robin Hood, the book Georgia Kingsley wrote when we were in high school. It's the ten year anniversary, they want to do a sequel, and Georgia _herself _called ME and asked ME to write it!" Helga explained, pacing backward and forward around the room.

"Wow, Helga!" I smiled, leaping from my chair and pulling her into the closest hug I could manage, "What will you call it? What'll it be about?"

"Envision this Arnold... Marian learning to cope with her insecurities and kicking some ass in the forest, you know, generally saving Robin's butt all the darn time. Oh, and maybe a raid on the castle! I even thought I might get mushy and have add a little baby Robin & Marian in there at the end." Helga beamed.

"Sounds wonderful." I assured her.

Helga looked up at me sweetly through those long lashes, "You remember the play we did, right?" she asked softly.

"How could I _ever _forget that, Helga?" I asked, pulling back a little to look her in the eyes, which I noticed were distinctly watery, "Helga, are you crying?"

"No." Helga mumbled, moving forward again to hide her face in the crook of my neck.

Running my hands gently down her arms, I laughed softly, "I think you might be, I just hope they're happy tears."

"Helga G. Pataki doesn't cry." Helga objected, sniffling a little as she spoke.

"No, but it looks like Helga Geraldine Shortman does." I countered, placing a kiss on her wet cheek.

Helga huffed in defeat, "It's not my fault! It's her fault!" she argued, placing a hand on her rounded stomach, "She's making me all sappy!"

"Phoebe warned you." I teased, wincing at the very recent memories of Phoebe Johanssen eating disgusting food combinations, organising her entire book collection meticulously _every day_ and breaking into hysterical bawling fits for the strangest reasons.

Helga frowned, and stormed to toward the living room in a sudden panic, "Yeah and Pheebs is perfect! If my perfect best friend went off her rocker... just imagine what I'll be like!" she whined, failing her arms dramatically as she sunk into the large red couch.

"Helga.." I said seriously, gently taking a seat beside her, "I love you."

Helga's eyes wandered to mine, a bashful look on her face, "I love you too." she smiled, leaning over to place a kiss on my lips.

"You're going to be a wonderful mother." I whispered into her ear, running my hand gently over her stomach.

Helga rested her head carefully against my chest, "You always know the right things to say." she murmured dreamily, relaxing against me as my arms wound around her waist.

* * *

**The End.**

****& everybody lived happily ever after, of course!

Big thank you to all my followers/reviewers/readers, glad you enjoyed reading this story and thanks for your support.


End file.
